One of the few things I inherited
from my mother is an acute fondness for hot and spicy foods. This "addiction"
is also one of the few things I share with my sole brother. When I was a youth,
there was seldom
a McCaskey family meal that didn't have a bottle of hot sauce (usually McIlhenny
Brand Tabasco sauce) within reach. Now that my brother and I are now on our own, this family tradition
continues in both our households.

Today, I am fortunate
that I am not limited to just what is available in the local supermarket
(although the selection today is not shabby). Many food-related and
kitchen-related stores carry a selection of hot sauces, spicy foods and other items of interest to the average and
above-average chili-head. Even if a shop specializing in hot sauces is not within an easy drive
for you, there are many fine mail-order services and even online services
where you can purchase the latest and greatest in sauces, mixes, salsas
and other spicy products.

This corner of my homepage
is devoted to not only reviews of hot sauces I have personally sampled it also
contains my personal thoughts, ideas and just other general babble concerning
hot sauces. I also have several links of interest
to fellow "pepperheads" that you might wish to check out. Also, if you feel
so inclined, send me a sample of your pepper sauce for me to review.

NOTE: Due to time constraints currently ongoing
in my life, I am unable to add new reviews for the time being. I want to make it
clear that I will resume posting new reviews soon. In the meantime feel free to
read what I have reviewed.

CARL'S
HOT SAUCE PHILOSOPHY

I never considered it proper
just to add hot sauce to any food just to make it "hot." In my humble opinion,
if you make something "too hot" (admittedly a completely subjective term),
the tongue won't be able to taste whatever food on which you've used the
hot sauce. You might as well just have consumed the hot sauce straight from the
bottle if heat is all you're after. Personally, I will not add any hot sauce unless
it can and will complement the flavor of the food. Admittedly there is
no wrong way to use hot sauce (except maliciously) and this is my own personal,
subjective opinion, so enjoy your hot sauce in the manner you so choose.

CARL'S
HOT SAUCE REVIEWS

The following are my reviews of hot sauces I
have sampled and used. These are grouped in two sections; my favorites &
everything else. I have tried to described the flavor and heat level of the
sauces and hope that my reviews will help you get an idea of what these sauces
are like.

CARL'S
FAVORITES(In alphabetical order)

Arizona Gunslinger Smokin' Hot
BBQ SauceRarely do you find a barbecue
sauce that effectively balances heat, sweet and smokiness, but Arizona
Gunslinger Smokin' Hot BBQ sauce does exactly that. With its blend of jalapeno
peppers, tomato concentrate, molasses, corn syrup, mustard, vinegar,
natural hickory smoke, salt and other spices, this sauce is a solid medium heat
level with an excellent flavor. The heat and flavor complement each other
nicely. I highly recommend this BBQ sauce!

Batten
Island Gourmet SauceThis is a nice fruit-based
pepper sauce that is readily available in many grocery stores in north
Florida and is also available in either hot or mild. University of Florida
fans who are chili-heads will also like the gator-chef on the label. I've
tried both the hot and mild versions and I recommend both although I consider
the hot version to be about medium heat. The combination of raisins, dates,
apples, pears, papayas and mangos with habanero and cayenne peppers create
a remarkably unique flavor that complements many dishes. I recommend it
mostly as a side condiment usable on steaks, ham and other meat dishes.
If you like chutney, you will probably also like this sauce.

Bufalo
Chipotle Mexican Hot SauceI have a fondness for
chipotle sauces and this one is definitely one of the best I have found.
According to the label this sauce is "Mexico's #1 hot sauces for 50 years."
The ingredients are simple with chipotle peppers, vinegar and various spices,
but they have managed to blend a wonderful sauce that adds plenty of flavor
and a good medium level of heat to any dish.

Bustelo's
Chipotle Pepper SauceThis sauce, a blend of vinegar, garlic, chiles
(chipotles, I assume) and
salt, is aged for over 6 months in oak wine barrels and has that wonderful
smoky chipotle flavor. I bought my first bottle of this and
I liked it so much, I had to buy another bottle a couple of days later.
The heat is on the low end of "medium" but the flavor is on the upper end
of "high." This sauce complements so many foods it's unbelievable. I first
used some in chicken soup and it was fantastic. Use it on meats, soups,
even seafood. You really have to try it!

Captain Redbeard's Key West Style Chipotle Habanero SauceWow! This thick sauce with
chunks of pepper is awesome! The flavor is sweet and smoky at the same time with
a good medium level of heat. The folks from Captain Redbeard's in Florida
have concocted an extremely delicious sauce that has a huge flavor. The
combination of habanero and chipotle peppers with tomato paste, distilled viegar,
onions, salt, chives, sugar, garlic powder and black pepper make for one of the
best chipotle sauces I've tried. Although this sauce does contain ground black
peppercorns (to use the proper term), it does not overwhelm the flavor as in the
case of several hot sauces that seem to think a bucketful of ground peppercorns
is what is needed to spice up the sauce. I strongly urge you to seek this sauce
out. And get two bottles `cause just one ain't gonna last for long.

Century
Hot Pepper SauceThe flavor from this
thai and cayenne pepper-based sauce is outstanding. A combination of those
peppers with vinegar, tomato sauce, tomato paste, seasoned salt, garlic
and other ingredients are delightfully blended into this sauce that has
about a medium level of heat. I definitely suggest this sauce for your
pantry.

The
Cheech Gnarly Garlic Habanero Hot SauceAnother hot sauce in the
"Cheech" sauce line and once again another excellent blending of
flavor and heat this time with habanero peppers, garlic, carrots, onions, lime
juice, vinegar and salt. Another sauce I highly recommend.

The Cheech Smokin' Chipotle
Hot Sauce
This hot sauce, with a caricature of actor Richard "Cheech" Marin on the label,
is a wonderful blend of flavor and heat combining red tabasco peppers, jalapeno
peppers, habanero peppers and cayenne peppers with molasses, cane vinegar, lime
juice, papaya, passion fruit juice, garlic, salt, smoke flavor and rum. This
sauce uses a pepper mash technique to get a delightful level of medium-high heat
while retaining an excellent flavor. I highly recommend this sauce.

Cholula
Hot Sauce
A very good, multi-use hot sauce that I highly recommend keeping on your table.
A nice solid medium to upper-medium heat level created by a simple yet effective
blend of vinegar, red peppers, piquin peppers, salt and spices. The flavor is
also extremely good, quite smooth and it also has a small similarity (at least
in my opinion) to spicy V-8 vegetable juice. Although it is vinegar based, it
does not have an overwhelming vinegar taste. Also the heat has a quick bite that
remains as a warm glow and is not overwhelming (unlike a lot of the extreme hot
sauces on the market). This is one of those sauces that should be on every hot
sauce lover's essentials list and is usable in many recipes.

Colorado's Hotlips Ten Pepper
Nectar Hot SauceThere is an old saying "Too many cooks
spoil the broth." I wonder if too many peppers spoil the hot sauce? In this
hot sauce, the answer is a resounding no. The ten peppers in this sauce (anaheim
greens, pasillas, habaneros, chipotles, New Mexican reds, cascabels, cayennes,
fresnos, pequins & tabascos) blend with tomatoes, tomatillos, vinegar, apple
juice, onions, apricots, pomegranate juice, garlic, ginger and salt to make an
excellently flavored sauce that keeps the heat level a solid medium that has a
slow build-up. The heat does not overwhelm the tastebuds and the sauce's flavor
is complimentary to most foods. I highly recommend this sauce.

Corsair
Pepper Sauce {Hot A Lot}This vinegar-based sauce
from Pass Christian, Mississippi is an interesting blend of cayenne &
jalapeno peppers, onions, carrots, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and other
spices. Even though labeled as "Hot A Lot" (e.g. - the hottest level) the
heat is medium level. However the flavor is quite good and the peppers,
onions and carrots are somewhat chunky and crisp. This is a good sauce
to have especially in seafood dishes as well as dips.

Coyote Cocina Prankster's RedDeliciously smokey sauce with
a warmth coming from its combination of New Mexico Red, chipotle and chiltepin
peppers. This sauce's flavor is awesome even though its heat level is quite low.
The label states: "Pour over tacos; Add to soups, stews and other dishes
for traditional Mexican flavor." I concur. I also suggest adding this to
dips, casseroles and just about any dish you wish to prepare.

Lottie's
True Bajan Premium Hot Pepper SauceI have developed a fondness
for mustard-based sauces and was informed recently that a similar sauce
that I enjoy actually created its recipe as a rip-off of Lottie's. This
intrigued me so much that I bought a bottle to try. Now I understand why.
Lottie's is a well-balanced blend of mustard, hot peppers, vinegar and
other spices that adds flavor to foods without overpowering them (however
the sauce is quite fiery). This NIFCA award winning sauce is a delicious
thin sauce with small chunks of peppers (reddish in color) that add not
only heat but also a nice color. Even though this sauce does include vinegar,
there is no noticeable vinegar taste. If you have never tried a mustard-based
hot sauce, I heartily recommend this one.

McIlhenny
Co. Tabasco Brand SauceWithout a doubt, my all-time favorite hot food
product is the McIlhenny Co. Tabasco Brand Sauce which I have enjoyed pretty
much all my life. Whether used in some of my dad's world-famous gumbo (well
it SHOULD be world-famous: it's that good), in scrambled eggs or in any
number of dishes, McIlhenny's tabasco sauce adds a unique flavor and a
goodly amount of heat to anything without overpowering the food. However
because McIlhenny's tabasco sauce is a pungent sauce in terms of "heat"
use it sparingly if you're unfamiliar with it.

Mo
Hotta-Mo Betta Chipotle Adobo Hot SauceEver since trying my
first chipotle pepper, I have enjoyed several sauces which utilize the
smoked pepper. I discovered this sauce in a small specialty grocery store
called Modica Market in Seaside, Florida and tried it immediately. I was floored
by it's unique combination of chipotles in adobo, orange juice, garlic
spiced cider and other ingredients. It's a mild sauce, but the flavor is
outstanding and every chipotle lover needs to get more than just one bottle
this because once you start, you won't be able to stop using it in and
on so many foods. One things to note; this sauce is pretty thick so it
makes a great basting sauce as well a wonderful substitute for the usual
steak sauce.

Pele's Hawaiian Rainforest
Herb SauceA wonderfully
delicious, albeit mild sauce from Hawaii made from a blend of eschallot, celery,
thyme, onion, garlic, sweet peppers, basil, parsley, vinegar and salt. Even
though there is no bite to this sauce, the flavor of this sauce is outstanding
and will complement most any dish plus it will add zest and flash to bland foods
as well. One suggestion is adding this to simple white rice which enriches the
flavor greatly.

Pepper Ranch Aged Gourmet Hot
Pepper SauceProbably one of the best
Louisiana-style pepper sauces out there.This one is a simple blend of peppers,
vinegar and salt but the flavor is outstanding. The type of peppers are unamed
by the label shows the fiery pequin peppers ripe on the plant so I think it's
safe to assume that's what is used. Made by the Lee Bass Company from Lutz,
Florida, this sauce is a thin sauce with a solid wallop of heat (nice upper
medium level). If you can find this one, don't just buy one, buy several because
before you know it, you'll be needing more.

Pili
Hot Pepper CondimentThis condiment (rather
than a sauce) was recommended to my wife when she was shopping at a hot sauce
shop. She was looking for a few surprises
to present me with and the proprietor recommended this. Apparently Pili
(pronounced pee-lee) hot pepper condiment won the 1995 Hot Foods Competition
held in New Orleans, Louisiana. After trying it, I can understand why.
This condiment is just flat-out GOOD. It is concentrated so only a little
is needed, but I put just a bit in some tuna salad and was completely blown
away at how well it complemented the flavor of the tuna salad. Since then
I have used it in other foods and recipes with wonderful results (try adding
a bit to ordinary ketchup). Even though its chief source for heat is the
infamous habanero pepper, the burn is not overwhelming, but instead is
a nice slow burn that never overwhelms you.

Raw Heat Vintage 69'Hot! Definitely hot! Habanero
and chipotle peppers combined with onions, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, vinegar and
miscellaneous spices make this sauce awesomely hot with a hint of smokiness. The
flavor will accent many foods, but use sparingly; the heat will get ya!

San
Angel Chipotle SalsaEver since reading how delicious
chipotles were I had always wanted to try something made from them. This
salsa proved to be quite an enjoyable surprise. The heat is good, but not
overwhelming and the flavor, a mixture of chipotle peppers, fresh cilantro,
fresh garlic, sea salt, etc., is smokey and hot at the same time. I find
it interesting that consistency of this salsa is not nearly as liquid as
many commercial salsas. This salsa is officially my all-time second-favorite
salsa.

Santa
Barbara Olive Co. Roasted Garlic Salsa (Chunky Olive)I was hooked on this
particular salsa immediately after trying it for the first time and will
go out of my way to find it. The combination of green chilies, jalapeno
peppers, black and green olives, garlic and other ingredients makes this
one of the most flavorful salsas around without being too hot. In fact,
one local shop (now defunct) that carried this salsa told me it is their
most popular. Not surprising.

Santa
Fe Ole' 3 Pepper Hot SauceThis nice, yet fairly
fiery pepper sauce manufactured in Santa Fe, New Mexico not only effectively
blends chipotle, red chili and red jalapeno peppers (the 3 peppers in
its name), but also uses cumin for a hint of barbecue flavor that makes
the sauce unique. It has a heat level which I consider to be on the borderline
of "medium" and "hot" but don't think for a moment this sauce is "wimpy"
-- it does a bit of a bite so use sparingly at first and add extra if you
want more fire. It should also be noted that there is no oil or sugar in
this sauce and only a trace of salt so it is usable in many restricted
diets.

St. George Island Peach 'N Pepper Hot SauceVery few instances occur where I sample a hot
sauce straight from the bottle and decide instantly that it's outstanding,
however this sauce caused such a reaction from me. This is a mild, yet flavorful
sauce that is extremely versatile. It contains green jalapeno peppers as well as
cayenne peppers so the heat level is low. It also adds sweetness with peaches,
Vidalia onions and cane sugar. Those ingredients along with red chili puree,
vinegar, salt and dehydrated tomato make for a fantastic sauce. Being that it is
low in heat, it's great for beginners and those with a tender palate but
experienced pepperheads would be foolish to pass this sauce by. This sauce is
highly recommended.

Stairway To Hell Smokin'
Habanero Pepper Hot SauceThe label on this hot sauce warns you that it
"burns twice." In my case, the second burn never showed up because the
first burn lingered so nicely. Although it utilized the habanero pepper, I
didn't find the heat to be overwhelming. Rather it comes on quickly and stays
with you for quite a while. I place it on the upper level of medium but if too
much is added, it will take you over the border to a high level of heat. What I
find most enjoyable about this sauce is the remarkable balance between heat and
flavor. Neither overwhelms the other. The habanero & pasilla peppers are
blended with tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, lime juice,
salt pepper and mesquite smoke flavoring to create a smoky flavor with a hint of
sweetness. It is fairly thick and works quite directly well on grilled meats as
well as an additive to soups, chilis, etc. It is a natural to use it as a
"secret ingredient" in homemade chili. Overall, this is a hot sauce
worth seeking out.

Trappey's
Hot Pepper SauceMcIlhenny's long-time chief competitor, Trappey's
also has a Louisiana-style tabasco pepper sauce (actually a blend of tabasco
and cayenne) that is quite good. Although not as hot as McIlhenny's Tabasco
sauce, Trappey's sauce has a wonderful flavor which accentuates the flavor
of many foods. I suggest having this sauce onhand for cooking as well as
adding to soups, sauces, etc.

[NOTE:
This sauce, with its distinguishable green label, is not to be confused
with Trappey's Bull Sauce or their other sauces {several of which are mentioned
below}.][EXTRA
NOTE: I have been informed
that in 1991, McIlhenny Company bought out Trappey’s products (according to
Erinn Joyce, the company’s creative services director). Then in August 1997,
McIlhenny sold Trappey’s to B & G Foods, a multibrand food company based
in Roseland, N.J. And unfortunately in the shuffle most of the Trappey's line of
hot sauce products fell by the wayside.]

Two
Cats SaucesThese sauces is all extremely good.
None are very hot but all have excellent flavor.Two
Cats Autumn SauceThis sauce is the sweetest and quit mild in
regards to heat. Its ingredients include pears, tomatoes, cranberry-grape juice,
hot chiles, sweet red peppers, onions, vinegars, carrots, pumpkins, yams,
raisins, brown sugar, garlic, "Duplin" wine, lime juice, olive oil,
herbs and spices.Two
Cats Spring SauceThis sauce is a 1999 Fiery
Foods Challenge winner and is the hottest of the set. Even though it is the
hottest of the set the heat level is on the lower end of medium. Its ingredients
include pears, tomatoes, peach-grape juice, hot chiles, sweet red peppers,
onions, vinegar, carrots, apples, yams, raisins, brown sugar, garlic, "Duplin"
wine, lime juice, olive oil, herbs and spices which give it a sweet flavor.
Two
Cats Summer SauceThis is also a 1999 Fiery Foods Challenge
winner and it is a delicious sauce that has a bit of a bite to it as well as a
sweet flavor. Its ingredients include pears, tomatoes, pear-grape juice, hot
chiles, sweet red peppers, onions, vinegar, carrots, mangos, yams, raisins,
brown sugar, garlic, "Duplin" wine, lime juice, olive oil, herbs and
spices which give this sauce a complex flavor with just a touch of heat.Two
Cats Winter SauceThis a delicious sweet
sauce that is the mildest of the set. Although the label claims
it has hot chiles in it (none specified) its ingredients (which includes
pears, tomatoes, raspberry-grape juice, sweet red peppers, onions, carrots,
apples, yams, raisins, brown sugar, garlic, "Duplin" wine, lime juice, olive
oil, salt and herbs & spices) make for a delightfully complex taste.
Some of the ingredients are quite unique, but they blend well in this sweet
yet only slightly warm sauce.

Valentina Salsa PicanteA delightful sauce simply consisting of chili
peppers (unspecified), vinegar, salt and other spices. It is mild in regards to
its heat level, but the flavor is wonderful. This Mexican hot sauce definitely
adds flavor to any dish and I strongly urge everyone to try this as soon as
possible.

OTHERS
WORTH MENTIONING(In alphabetical order)

Alabama Sunshine XXX Hot Special
Black Label Red Savina Hot SauceThis sauce is a very hot
vinegar based sauce that will definitely light up the tongue. Only a few drops
will be enough to add heat to most dishes. Its blend of red savina peppers,
vinegar, garlic, olive oil, tumeric and alum make for a unique, slightly tart
flavor that works well in foods. Try this sauce if you find it.

Alabama Wild Fire Hot SauceThe label on this hot sauce
says it is "extra extra hot" which is definitely truth in advertisting.
This sauce is on the high end of the heat scale as well as the flavor
scale by combining habanero peppers with vinegar, garlic, salt and other spices.
A very solid and good sauce.

Amazon
Pepper Fiery Green SauceThis light-green colored
pepper sauce packs a pretty good wallop both in terms of heat and flavor.
However the flavor is just a bit bitter due to the green amazon peppers,
but not overwhelmingly so. The ingredients are nothing fancy (green amazon
peppers, vinegar and salt) but if you use this sauce sparingly, it actually
is pretty good in soups, sauces and dips.

Amazon
Pepper Fiery Red SauceThis pepper sauce also packs a pretty good wallop both in terms of heat and flavor.
The ingredients are nothing fancy as well (red amazon
peppers, vinegar and salt) but if you use this sauce sparingly, it is pretty good in soups, sauces and
dips, too.

Amazon Pepper Hot N'
Sweet SauceA remarkably flavorable sauce
consisting of habanero and amazon peppers blended with mango, sugar,
passionfuit, lemon, salt and other spices. This mixture is balanced beautifully
with an even mixture of sweet and heat. Even though this contains habanero
peppers, the heat level is fairly mild. I recommend this sauce and one
interesting use I have made is mixing it in with cream cheese for a sweet treat
with a little tang.

Arizona Gunslinger Smokin' Hot
Habanero Pepper Sauce"Smokin'" implies
an smoldering fire and unlike many habanero sauces that hit you upside the head
with the heat, this sauce smolders on the tongue delicately building up to a
"hot coals" level that will delight the hot sauce lover. The simple
list of ingredients (fresh ripened habanero and jalapeno peppers, vinegar and
salt) is skillfully blended to offer both a quality flavor with a nice heat
buildup. It also manages to balance the flavor of the peppers without
overwhelming it with a strong vinegar taste. This is a fairly thick sauce
compared to most vinegar based sauces and one that would make a nice addition to
your cupboard.

Around The World Hot SauceI imagine most people have
heard about food that "sticks to your ribs." Well this is a sauce that
will stick to the taste buds. This one is a scorcher. And if you use too much at
once, it will take your kicking and screaming on what feels like a rapid epicurean
trip around the world. The heat is mostly from the famed red savina habanero
pepper (in this case it is apple smoked) which is blended with chipotle peppers,
ground Jamaican allspice, curry powder, horseradish, ground ginger and ground
annatto. A curry flavor is definitely evident, but not overwhelming (you can
also smell the curry in the sauce since it is notoriously pungent). This is
definitely not a hot sauce for the faint of palate but a good sauce nonetheless.
You want an interesting taste adventure, get this sauce.

Ass In The Tub Hot SauceAss In Space Hot SauceSometimes a pepperhead
purchases a sauce because of a unique or humorous label and/or name, takes
it home and is pleasantly surprised to find that it is quite good as well.
However, with these sauces, this is not one of those times. These fiery
sauces, with their unique names, each have equally unique (as well as humorous)
labels, but their flavors are quite unpleasant. The ingredients contain
just enough of the bare essentials to allow the company to call it a hot
pepper sauce, but both sauces are extremely bitter and actually take away
from the flavor of foods. If you are a person who collects pepper sauces
for display purposes only, these two sauces would make good additions to
your collection. But if you purchase hot pepper sauces to use and enjoy,
skip these sauces and go on to something better.

Ass
Kickin' Roasted Garlic Hot SauceThis Glendale, Arizona sauce
is on the low end of high heat and is to be used a little at a time to avoid
overwhelming the palate with its swift and sudden kick. It contains habanero
& jalapeno peppers along with roasted garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, salt
and onion powder. The flavor is also quite decent coming from the roasted garlic
and onion powder. Definitely something worthy to wake up the tastebuds of a true
pepperhead.

Atlanta
Burning SauceThe first thing that
intrigued me about this sauce was the suggestion on the label to use this
sauce on shrimp as well as ribs, wings and cocktails. Not too often is
such a suggestion made to use directly on seafood. I decided to try this
sauce. The first noticeable point about this sauce is that it is thick.
I mean THICK. Expect to expend a little more time and effort when pouring
this sauce as compared to other sauces. The second noticeable point is
the flavor. With ingredients such as peppers (not identified except for
extracts of tamarind), various vinegars, paprika, onion and garlic combined
with corn syrup and brown sugar as well as smoke flavor, this sauce is
quite a unique, but typically southern product. It is a sweet sauce, similar
to a barbecue sauce, but with major differences in flavor. Plus the thickness
of the sauce does lend itself to be used directly as a cocktail or steak
sauce (only if you are adventuresome). Which leads me to the third noticeable
point; the heat. While the first thing you taste is the sweetness, it slowly
transforms into an increasing heat which make your whole body warmer and
your face glow. Mind you, this is not the hottest sauce on the market,
but it is definitely not for the person with a flammable palate. Use with
caution and add sparingly until you reach the desired level of heat. A
little of this will go a long way. One interesting suggestion (particularly
for we southerners), try dipping slices of country sausage in a little
of this for breakfast.

Aunty Soon's Hot
SauceThis sauce from Hawaii has one of the
most unique flavors of any hot sauce I have tried. It really is hard to
describe how it tastes, but it is pretty darned good with soy sauce undertones.
The heat level on it is on the low end of medium but the flavor more than makes
up for it. The label lists the ingredients as hot pepper paste (sweet rice
powder, red pepper powder, soybean powder, malt powder, water and salt),
vinegar, Hawaiian chili water, molasses, soy sauce, fresh garlic and sesame
oil. It's a rich red color with a somewhat thick and coarse consistency.
Definitely something different to try.

Bad Bandito's Old No. 9
Barbecue SauceAn interesting and very tangy
vinegar-based barbecue sauce which can also be used as a marinade. Even though
this sauce is loaded with dried hot peppers (specific variety unknown), it is
not overwhelmingly hot, but just warm enough to be addictive. Nicely balanced
with a flavor derived from a blend of peppers, red wine vinegar, tomato paste,
corn syrup, honey, dehydrated onions, dehydrated garlic, brown sugar, hickory
smoke seasoning, basil, powdered mustard, salt and pepper. Nothing in the
ingredients stands out in the taste, but rather the complex ingredients give it
a well-rounded flavor. The consistency is slightly thick but dense with bits of
black pepper, garlic and onions (maybe some basil?) which makes it ideal for a
marinade as well. Quite tangy but a tad hot which makes it not your typical
barbecue sauce. Definitely one to try.

Bad Girls In Heat Papaya
Pumpkin Habanero Hot SauceAs far as I can remember,
this is the first hot sauce with pumpkin that I have tried. This is definitely a
fruity sauce with papaya, raisins, pumpkin, lime juice, ginger, parsnip, apple
cider vinegar, spices and habanero peppers. Even though its name features papaya
and pumpkin, the predominant fruit flavor is from the raisins. The heat level is
on the medium end of the scale, but does not overwhelm its fruity flavor. A
pretty interesting sauce to try.

Bada Bing Bada Boom Hot SauceThe "Official Hot Sauce
of the Meadowlands" is an interesting mix of heat and flavor coming from
roasted and crushed red peppers, smoked chipotle peppers, tomato juice, garlic
powder, onion powder, salt, vinegar and other spices. The heat level is solidly
medium and the flavor is not overpowering, but quite complementary. Overall a
pretty good sauce.

Bandana's
Serious Habanero Pepper SauceThe label for this sauce has the following
warning: "Warning!! Not
recommended on breakfast cereal (grits excluded, of course!)" Now I've tried hot
sauces on some interesting and unique foods, but BREAKFAST CEREAL? I
guess you have to be seriously addicted to hot sauce to put it on some Captain
Crunch With Crunchberries. However with that being said, this very thick &
chunky sauce consists of habanero & scotch bonnet peppers along with a blend of
apple & white vinegar, carrots, onion, carrot juice, and garlic. The carrots
reduce the heat from the habanero and scotch bonnet pepper but this isn't a
wimpy sauce. I put the heat level at a solid medium bordering on upper-medium.
It has an interesting tartness to it that isn't bad nor conflicting with the
ingredient. Overall a very good sauce.

Bandana's
Seriously Cilantro Pepper SauceThe ingredients for this sauce are identical
to their habanero pepper sauce:
apple & white vinegar,
carrots, onion, carrot juice, habanero & scotch bonnet peppers & garlic. But
they add cilantro to it. If you're a cilantro fan, you'll probably like it but
being one who finds the flavor of cilantro to be that of soap, I had
trepidations. I am one of those
rare individuals that has a gene which causes cilantro to taste like soap. Both
my wife and I both taste cilantro the same way. However the cilantro is barely
noticable and overall this sauce is just about identical in every way to their
habanero sauce listed above.

Barracuda Bite Hot SauceInspired by the legendary "Marathon
Barracuda", this hot sauce is a combination of habanero and chipotle
peppers as well as garlic, key lime juice, tomatoes, brown sugar, soy sauce,
balsamic vinegar and other spices. And it is HOT! However the heat does not
overwhelm the unique and tantalizing flavor. This sauce originates from the
Barracuda Grill in the Florida Keys and is definitely worth the time and effort
to add it to your pantry. But beware, use a little at a time or the sauce just
might bite your tongue clean off!

Batch #37 Garlic Hot
SauceWith a picture of a screaming man on the
label and a seal on the bottle cap which reads "Pain
Is Good" one would expect a hot sauce that will open your sinuses and make
you sweat. And with this sauce from Original Juan Specialty Foods you are
definitely not disappointed. The habanero peppers in this sauce makes it very,
very hot cut only slightly by pureed carrots as well as lemon juice & lime
juice. Plus it has garlic. Lots of garlic. The ingredients list minced garlic,
garlic puree AND garlic powder as well. Garlic lovers, this hot sauce will
definitely make you vampire proof. And it that were not enough, this sauce also
contains mustard seed, onion powder, olive oil, tumeric, distilled vinegar as
well as some unnamed spices. So basically you have a hot sauce that is well
rounded, full bodied and will make ya sweat! Dense with bits of pepper and
garlic with an orange hue, it is one well worth trying.

Bayou
Viagra Louisiana Pepper SauceThis sauce (whose label
proclaims "Not Just For Men") is an interesting sauce consisting of cayenne
and habanero peppers mixed with minced garlic, onions, vinegar sea salt
and other spices. The heat level is solidly medium and does not have an
overwhelming vinegar flavor. Although the label is amusing and will be
a good collectible for hot sauce bottle collectors, this sauce's flavor
is worthy of addition to anyone's pantry.

Beastly
Hot Sauce (Charleston Hot Pepper & Flaming Habanero Fire)I'm not familiar with
Charleston hot peppers (a type of cayenne) but according to the label they have
a "smooth flavor." This sauce has a very strong kick to it coming
mainly from the habanero peppers yet it has a slightly smoky, slightly sweet
flavor created by the remainder of the ingredients (sweet potatoes, onions, lime
juice, vinegar, salt and unspecified spices). It is a thin sauce with bits of
pepper in the mixture. Definitely a high heat sauce but not overbearing. Overall
a tasty sauce with some subtle undertones. Give it a try.

Beer
Barrel Embalming Fluid Hot SauceThe label on the bottle makes
the claim "world's hottest all natural hot sauce." Well, if there is
something hotter out there that's not an extract, a concentrate or crystalline
then I don't know about it nor have I tried it. I'll warn you right on the
outset, this is definitely NOT a hot sauce for beginners and most novices
(unless those novices are truly adventuresome). The formula for this sauce is
simple: habanero peppers, vinegar, onion & garlic powder, salt plus select
micro-brewed beer. The sauce's flavor is fairly straightforward which makes it
quite versatile but due to the intense heat, you only need to use a little so it
really won't alter the flavor of the food. But if you use too much at one time,
you won't be tasting much of anything for a bit while your tastebuds recover. A
nice sauce to have onhand for the extreme pepperhead.

Beyond
Smoked Bones Hot SauceThis Delaware produced hot
sauce consisting of ground habanero peppers, ground red peppers and aged cayenne
peppers sauce gives your tongue quite the burn. The flavor is quite tart
(possibly from the aged cayenne peppers?) and if overused in a dish will
overwhelm the food's taste so use sparingly. However the heat is such that if
you overuse it in a dish, you'll have smoke coming out your ears as well.

Big Georgia RedA simple yet delicious "spicy
condiment" is a delightful blend of habanero peppers, red peppers,
sugar, salt and (unamed) spices. The sugar gives it a somewhat sweet flavor and
cuts the habanero heat to a good medium level. The sweetness is balanced well
with the other spices and the unamed red peppers. It has a rather thick
consistency with an ample amount of small bits of pepper pulp. If you like an
all-purpose with a unique flavor, get Big Georgia Red. Overall, this is quite a
good sauce from Whigham, Georgia.

Big Island Hot SauceAccording to the label, this sauce is "A
Lehua Honey Habanero Pepper Sauce with other flavors from Hawai'i". It contains
ginger juice, plum sauce, soy sauce, lehua honey, Hawaiian sea salt, Chinese
five spice, red habanero peppers which makes for a very sweet sauce with
Oriental undertones. With so much sweetness, the heat from the red habanero is
cut quite a bit giving it a low heat level. If you like sweet sauces to try and
you're not wanting something very hot, this is the sauce for you.

Billy
Bob's Blazing Trail Hot`N Smoky Habanero Very Hot Pepper SauceA fairly simplistic sauce
(vinegar, onions, carrots, tomatoes, lime juice, habanero peppers, sugar
and salt) but truthful in it's descriptive title. This sauce is smoky and
very, very hot, but has a very good flavor to match (although if you add
to much, that heat will completely obliterate the flavor temporarily).
This is a good sauce for experienced pepperheads and especially those pepperheads
who enjoy smoky sauces. I personally find this to be a great additive to
chili.

Bite Me Hot SauceThe key ingredients for this
sauce are chipotle peppers and roasted garlic. Of course, having habaneros,
tomatoes and onion doesn't hurt either. As far as habanero sauces go, this one
is pretty tame, but you should really consider the flavor of this sauce rather
than trying to find something that will melt your dental fillings. Its heat
isn't something to be ignored eithers. Although not the hottest sauce around, it
does pack a nice slow burn that lasts without ever being overpowering. A very
nice balance of flavor and heat.

Blair's After Death Sauce with
ChipotleIn this day and age of
companies having the "hottest sauce" on the market, this award-winning
sauce definitely ranks up there as one of the hottest. To be honest, if this
sauce contains chipotle peppers, you'd be hard pressed to taste it. A drop or
two in a dish is plenty to add ample heat. Any more will simply overwhelm
everything. It is unfortunate that the heat tends to overwhelm the flavor since
the ingredients include red and orange habanero peppers, cayenne peppers,
chipotle peppers, smashed garlic (smashed?), lime juice, cilantro, vinegar and
fresh herbs and spices. I imagine the flavor would be quite good, but
unfortunately it is so hot I can't taste it. If you like extreme sauces, this is
one to add to your cupboard.

Blue Crab Bay Co. Sting Ray
Hot SauceThis sauce, produced in
Virginia, is a "smooth mildly-hot condiment" that is definitely for
seafood lovers. With its blend of unnamed peppers, tomato paste, ocean clam
juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt and other
spices the sauce has a very unique flavor albeit extremely mild. The clam juice
and horseradish are evident in its flavor while the heat level is barely
apparent. This sauce would be extremely good in any seafood dish as well as many
other dishes where a distinct flavor is needed.

Bo
Bo's Bajan Hot SauceOn one hand the label says
that it's "straight from
Trinidad" while on the other hand it also says that it's "Fresh From Florida."
Confusing? Is there a Trinidad, Florida of which I am not aware? I am partial to
mustard based sauces like this one so I eagerly anticipated sampling it. Not
only does it has mustard for part of its base, it also has habanero peppers,
onion, garlic, key lime juice, salt, [unnamed] spices, and vinegar. I expected a
hotter sauce than it is. The heat sneaks up on you but never rises into the
medium range. It's quite the chunky and flavorful sauce that is good for
beginners.

Boiling
Point Hot SauceWhen I sample a sauce for the first time, one
of the first things I check is the list of ingredients. I include them in my
reviews. When I read the ingredients on this multi-pepper sauce, one of the
ingredients caught my attention:
natural butter flavor. Now
I've sampled hundreds of hot sauces in the past 20 or more years and have never
seen "natural butter flavor" listed as an ingredient in a hot sauce. So I was
immediately intrigued to see just how much it influenced the flavor. I was
surprised somewhat that that butter flavor is indeed evident but also it seems
to enhance the smooth consistency of this sauce. I would describe it as
approaching thickness but not quite achieving it. That butter flavor combined
with cayenne peppers, habanero peppers and crushed red peppers (also with
distilled vinegar and salt) give it ample heat (a solid medium) along with a
nice overall, somewhat tangy flavor. There's enough uniqueness about this to
make this sauce stand out in the hot sauce market and if you happen to run
across it, I suggest picking up a bottle to try.

Boss
Man Hot SauceAlthough the label calls this
a hot sauce, it's really nothing more than a seafood cocktail sauce. Not that
this is a bad thing, mind you. However as far as hot sauces go, you might want
to pass on this one. BUT, as far as cocktail sauces go, this sauce is quite
good. The ingredients are listed as tomato ketchup, hot sauce (unspecified),
horseradish, black pepper, green peppers and other unspecified spices.
Interestingly, this is the first hot sauce I have ever purchased that was
autographed by its originator (I believe his name is Brad Knighton - the
autograph obscured the name so I'm not sure if I have spelled his name
correctly). This sauce has been produced since 1972 under the watchful eye of
Mr. Knighton and if you love oysters as much as I, then use it on your next
dozen or so.

The
Brutal Bajan Hot Habanero SauceI have found that any
pepper sauce that is very fiery needs some sort of pungent flavor in order
to mirror the level of heat. After all, one only needs a little bit of
the sauce to give the food some heat, but if the flavor isn't there, the
food only becomes hot and is not enhanced in any interesting way. Fortunately,
the Brutal Bajan Habanero sauce uses mustard which not only gives it a
unique deep yellow hue, but adds an interesting flavor which allows you
to add only a few drops to increase the heat and enhance the flavor. This
habanero sauce effectively blends mustard, garlic, onion, tumeric and other
standard hot sauce ingredients into a pungent sauce worthy of experienced
pepperheads. Rookie pepperheads, use carefully.

Bufalo Picante Clasica Mexican
Hot SauceMore salsa like than a hot
sauce. This sauce from Mexico is a very simple blend of chile peppers (the label
is not specific as to the type of peppers), vinegar, water and salt. The label
says it is hot, but the bottle I tried is actually pretty mild with a distinct
vinegar flavor. The sauce is very thick and takes a little effort getting it
from the bottle. An average sauce overall.

Busha Browne's Pukka Hot
Pepper SauceDefinitely a good all-purpose
hot sauce on the high end of medium heat. Scotch bonnet peppers give this sauce
a good heat boost with added flavor from cane sugar, salt and approved spices (I
haven't a clue as to the qualifications for approval). Recommended for the
experienced palate.

Cafe
Louisiane (Hotter`n Hell Sauce)This sauce was given
to me as a present and I am glad I have such thoughtful relatives. This
sauce is a very unique blend of red peppers, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt,
cinnamon, cloves, allspice, etc. which gives it an interesting sweet, yet
spicy flavor and a medium level of heat. This is the only hot sauce I have
tried with cinnamon. It works for me.

Cafe
Tequila Cayenne Red Hot SauceA very interesting sauce
produced in San Francisco made with cayenne peppers, water, vinegar, salt,
garlic juice and tequila. The cayenne peppers give it a bit of a bite and are
complemented by the garlic juice and tequila. Overall it is not a very hot sauce
but quite flavorful which could be added to many dishes without overwhelming it.
The cone shaped bottle also makes it visually distinctive as well. Try it.

Cajun
Power Garlic SauceNot a hot sauce but a
very nice garlic sauce made from squeezed garlic, vinegar, tomatoes, cayenne
pepper and other spices. I only list it here because of the cayenne pepper.
It isn't hot at all, but VERY flavorful. Give it a try.

Captain
Bob's Jet Fuel (Chile de arbol Hot Sauce)This simple sauce (red chile
peppers, vinegar, garlic & water) has a very good medium heat level as well as a
basic vinegar-based flavor. However unlike some vinegar-based sauces, there is
no overwhelming vinegar taste. Instead it is tempered by the garlic and
therefore makes for a nice basic sauce that adds flavor and heat to any dish.

Captain Redbeard's Garlic Pepper SauceA rather thin sauce, but with
a lot of vinegary flavor (a little too vinegary for my personal tastes - I feel
the vinegar overwhelms the garlic instead of enhancing it) and a lot of heat.
However it's still not a bad sauce overall. Give it a try.

Captain Redbeard's Jaws Of FireA very interesting sauce with plenty of heat. A simple mixture of
habanero peppers, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder and salt creates a pretty
powerful sauce. A little too salty for my tastes, but more than ample heat. This
would be a good sauce to add to a chili but keep in mind that it has plenty of
heat and plenty of saltiness as well.

Captain Redbeard's
Sharkbite Cayenne Pepper SauceThis is typical of a
vinegar-based, Louisiana-style cayenne sauce. It is fairly mild with the kind of
flavor one expects of a cayenne sauce. A good all-purpose sauce made from a
simple, yet effective, blend of cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, salt
and vegetable gum. In my humble opinion, Captain Redbeard's Cayenne sauce and
Garlic sauce are very, very similar with one having more garlic than the other.

Captain Redbeard's Sharkbite Habanero Pepper SauceThe habanero peppers,
carrots, onions, vinegar, garlic, lime juice and salt create an interesting
sauce with a medium level of heat. The flavor is average with a little tartness
from the lime juice, but it suffers from being overly salty. I feel that if the
saltiness was decreased this would be a better sauce. With all the other Captain
Redbeard brand of sauces ranging from good to flat-out excellent, this sauce is
quite the disappointment. I hope that a) the reason this sauce is not good is
because I may have gotten a bad batch or b) they will recognize this problem and
rectify it.

Captain Redbeard's Sharkbite Jalapeno Pepper SauceThis sauce from Florida has a
medium level of heat and is quite tart. Even though the ingredients consist of
jalapeno peppers, distilled vinegar, salt and vegetable gum, it has a lemony
tartness that I don't know from where it originates.

Captain
Rodney's Pirates Gold Corazon del Fuego Hot SauceA very nice, solidly medium
heat sauce with a hint of sweetness created by a blend of scotch bonnet peppers,
tomato, vinegar, onion, salt and spices. This flavorful sauce does not overpower
the foods one puts it on or in, but it does add quite a bit of heat that slowly
builds up to a very pleasing glow. Overall, a very good sauce.

The Cheech Mojo Mango Habanero
Hot SauceA nice combination of sweet
and heat from mangos, carrots, habanero peppers, sugar, cane vinegar, tomato
paste, onion, vinegar and salt. Definitely a solid medium level of heat that
sneaks up on you and keeps you warm for a while. Quite a good sauce overall and
a welcome addition to any sauce lover's pantry.

Chesapeake FireThis sauce from Maryland is
the first sauce I have ever tried in which one of the main ingredients is beer.
Specifically, Wild Goose Amber Beer from Wild Goose Brewery located on
Maryland's Eastern Shore. However don't expect to "chug-a-lug" this
sauce because the habanero peppers give it a major bite. The pepper and beer are
combined with apple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and "select
spices." The flavor is complex with elements of sweetness and a touch of
citrus tartness. Overall a very unique and good sauce. Definitely one to try.

Chile Today Hot Tamale
Original Smoked Habanero
Hot SauceNevermind the silly pun in
its name, this hot sauce is a wonderful combination of heat and flavor. The
habanero peppers (both regular and smoked) and chipotle peppers are blended with
water, vinegar, papaya, carrots, salt, lemon juice and onion powder to create a
wonderful smoky and smooth flavor with just a touch of tartness (via the lemon
juice).

Chipotle Del Sol Smokin' Hot
SauceA very nice smoky sauce that
is full of the classic chipotle flavor and tanginess. A nice warm sauce made
from crushed tomatoes, chipotles in adobo, onions, cider vinegar, balsamic
vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, canola oil, salt and spices giving it a great
chipotle flavor that will enhance any dish. It has a and smooth consistency with
bits of pepper in it. Definitely a chipotle sauce to get.

Craig's Hot! Pepper Sauce (New
Jersey's Finest)Although it's fairly thick
with bits of peppers and ground black pepper this sauce gives you a pretty good
burn with an unusual flavor albeit a bit heavy on the salt. The hot peppers
(unspecified) tomatoes, vinegar, herbs and spices are blended to give it a
medium level of heat.

Crazy
Jerry's Biker Trash Habanero & Garlic Hot SauceFirst off, let's list the sauce's ingredients:
hot sauce (weird...a hot sauce with a hot sauce as base? -- says it has
Louisiana peppers - whatever that means), distilled vinegar, salt, lemon juice,
habanero peppers, roasted garlic, sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic
powder, habanero powder, [unnamed] spices. I was expecting a much hotter sauce
than what it turned out to be. But that's no big deal. It's on the upper end of
low heat bordering on medium. I do really like the garlic flavor in this sauce.
I feel consuming it would make one vampire-proof for a while. It is somewhat
thick and has a great flavor although the black pepper is just a little on the
heavy side. It's a recommendable sauce for someone who has just started with low
heat sauces to take a step up in heat level. I recommend it. I also was amused
by some of what was printed on the label:

"Made by a biker for bikers...and normal folk"

"Not intended for use by Politically Correct People!"

Crazy Jerry's
Brain Damage Mind Blowin' Hot SauceBoy this is a good sauce! Great
flavor from a blend of mandarin oranges, honey, mango fruit, sugar,
salt, vinegar and other unnamed spices. But the peppers will blow your
mind (and your tongue). A combination of habanero and chipotle peppers
give this a strong heat rush. The fruit and honey give you a nice flavor
at first, but then comes the rollin' thunder of heat. And let me tell you,
this will give you a nice sweat. A nice reddish color with a viscous
consistency (not thick and not thin). Definitely a sauce to add to your
table. Use often, but not if you are a beginner.

Crazy
Jerry's Mustard Gas Hot SauceThis mustard-based sauce is
not only an amusingly packaged sauce (in a small metal container) it is
also a highly flavorful sauce packed with some vicious heat. This potent
combination of mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard oil
and other spices is a very good mustard based sauce, but use sparingly
due to the concentrated flavor and heat it contains. A little truly does
go a long way with this sauce.

Cuyahoga Fire Hot Sauce
MarinadeAn interesting hot sauce made
in Cleveland, Ohio for the Whiskey Island Pirate Shop containing serano &
jalapeno peppers blended with vinegar, onion, garlic and lemon juice. This sauce
is a good combination of heat and flavor that will complement many foods.
According to the label this sauce is "great on meat, fish, fowl and such
pirate favorites as tack & gruel." I'm not sure about the tack and
gruel, but it definitely is good with meat, fish and fowl. The bottle is sealed
by a synthetic cork which is dipped in wax afterwards in true pirate fashion. An
interesting note -- The sauce's name humorously refers to the rather
infamous incident when the Cuyahoga River caught fire back in 1969 due to
massive amounts of pollutants.

Dan
T's Inferno Spiced Cayenne SauceI found this sauce in
a small specialty grocery store called Modica Market in Seaside, Florida. This
Canadian hot sauce comes in a blackened glass bottle which more resembles
a wine bottle than the typical bottle of hot sauce. The heat in this sauce
is fairly tame and the flavor is mainly based in the cayenne peppers and
heavy vinegar, but secondary spices give it an overall, rather pleasant
flavor which would be a decent addition to soups, adult beverages (try
this in a Bloody Mary instead of tabasco sauce), vegetable dishes (I enjoy
this as an additive to cooked collard greens), "mildish" hot wings, etc.
One particular suggestion is if you make your own vinegar-based salad dressings
substitute this sauce with about one-half to all of the normal vinegar
used in the salad dressing. Or if you use bottled vinegar-based salad dressings,
add some of Dan T's Inferno Spiced Cayenne Sauce straight into the salad
dressing. It will perk up any vinegar based salad dressing nicely. In short,
this is a very good all-purpose pepper sauce I recommend keeping in your
cupboard.

Dancing Fire Chipotle Hot
SauceThis hot sauce definitely
dances on the palate...not too hot to burn the boogie away, but just enough
spice to do a nice tango on the tongue. This vinegar based sauce has a
delightful combination of ground chipotle peppers, horseradish, ground ginger
and ground annatto which gives it a very interestingly fresh (yet slightly
sweet) flavor without being overpowering. It achieves a balance between the
horseradish and ginger rather than allowing one of the other to give the sauce
an overpowering flavor (a mistake a lot of other sauces using horseradish and/or
ginger make). Overall, a very good sauce to add to your pantry.

Dave's Gourmet Garlic Chile SauceThe label calls this a "siracha-style
sauce." Admittedly, I have no idea what that is, but I do know this sauce
is quite hot yet has a very good flavor. The red chile peppers and garlic are
combined with distilled vinegar, sugar and salt to create this rather thick, yet
tasty sauce.

Dave's
Insanity SauceI had read about this
sauce on various web sites and in various publications and found a bottle
at Four Winds International Food Market in Pensacola, Florida. This is
alleged to be the hottest sauce on the market today and I will admit that
it is the hottest that I have ever tried, but it is the epitome of what
I DON'T care for in a hot sauce -- all heat and little to no flavor. I can see
using for this in terms of adding heat to homemade chili or salsas without changing
the flavor, but be warned, a little goes a long way and if you add too
much, you will pay.

Delicatezza International
Market At San Roc Cay Good And Evil Hot SauceQuite a long name for a
unique sauce made for and sold by the San Roc Cay International Delicatezza in
Orange Beach, Alabama (I recommend visiting this shop). This sauce is a good
citrus-based sauce with orange juice concentrate, cane sugar, jalapeno peppers,
red bell peppers, ginger, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and other spices.
This is a medium heat level sauce with a nice flavor, however unlike other
orange juice based sauce, this sauce has no bitter aftertaste. Overall a good
and unique sauce.

Delicatezza International
Market At San Roc Cay Lime-Cilantro Margarita Hot SauceThis sauce is heavy on
the lime and light on heat. In fact, this sauce is SO heavy on the lime that you
can barely taste anything else. The flavor is not unpleasant but quite uncommon
for a hot sauce. However the heat level is almost nonexistent. If I were to make
a suggestion to the makers of this sauce, I would instruct them to either change
from jalapeno peppers to habanero or at the very least, increase the amount of
jalapeno peppers so as to increase the amount of heat. I would not personally
use this sauce much, but due to its uniqueness, you might wish to try it.

Delicatezza International
Market At San Roc Cay Vidalia Onion & Orange Hot SauceThis sauce almost combines
sweet and heat with a delicious blend of jalapeno peppers, orange juice
concentrate, vidalia onions, cane sugar, garlic, orange peel and other various
spices. Even though its heat level is pretty mild (I wonder if switching to
habanero might offer a hotter version) the sweetness combination of oranges,
vidalia onions and cane sugar is quite delightful. The makers of this sauce
manage to use oranges and peels without incurring the bitter aftertaste found in
many other orange based hot sauce. The sauce's consistency is slightly thick
with some bits of fruit, onion and orange peel within. Overall a wonderful sauce
to have onhand for many dishes where you would want a sweetness added with a
hint of heat.

Denzel's Lil' Smokehouse
Chipotle Hot SauceI love chipotle hot sauces.
The smokiness adds greatly to what other ingredients are used. Denzel's is very
smoky in taste. Almost as if the sauce itself was created in a smokehouse as the
name implies. Even though it is labeled a chipotle hot sauce, chipotles are not
specifically listed as an ingredient but jalapenos are (yes, folks I know
chipotle peppers are fully ripened and smoked jalapeno peppers). The remainder
of ingredients include vinegar, onions, garlic and salt. This thick sauce is not
too hot (on the low end of medium) but the smoky flavor makes it a nature for
BBQ's and anything cooked on a outdoor grill. Plus it's not too shabby in soups
and stews, too. Definitely a versatile, flavorful and delicious sauce worth
trying.

Devil's Tingle Hot SauceThis sauce isn't very hot at
all, but has an interesting combination of flavor that would make a good taco
sauce. The sauce contains chile pasilla negro peppers, cider vinegar, water,
corn oil, garlic, herbs and spices. The sauce is thin with a mild touch of heat
but with a decent garlic edge. This would be a good flavoring agent for dishes.

Doña
Delicia Gourmet Sauce: Green Hot SauceThe ingredient list is short and
sweet: green scotch bonnet peppers,
green habanero peppers, garlic, onion, vinegar, and salt. I expected major heat.
Didn't quite get it. Don't know why. It is on the upper end of medium,
however. What's disappointing about this thin sauce is that it lacks flavor. It
smells like crushed peppers. It looks like crushed peppers. And it tastes like
crushed peppers. I couldn't taste hardly any garlic or onion. I feel it would be
good as an additive but not really that good to use directly on food.

Dr. I.P. Hot Liquid FireOkay, first off...get over the obvious
third-grade humor in the name of this sauce. This sauce contains cayenne peppers,
habanero peppers, [unnamed] spices, and vinegar. Simple. I expected some major
heat but was disappointed. Perhaps more cayenne was used than habanero because
the heat level is on the low end of medium. Unfortunately, the flavor is pretty
strong and nasty. It has to be from the unnamed spices. Furthermore, they must
have pour a ton of salt into the batch I got because the saltiness is
overpowering. I recommend skipping this sauce.

Dragon
SauceA particularly vile sauce
(consisting of soy sauce, sherry wine, red peppers, garlic, onion powder,
chicory, etc.) that should have never been allowed on the market. This
sauce is widely sold in grocery stores in Florida and should be avoided
at all costs. A waste of money.

Dragon's Breath Hot SauceFirst of all let me make this
absolutely clear: this is NOT to be confused with the "Dragon Sauce"
listed above. This sauce is better. Unique, too. Habaneros make up the basis for
the heat but is limited by the combination of carrots, onions, tomatoes and
garlic along with citrus juice, tomato paste, salt and vinegar. The consistency
is a bit coarser than most, but very flavorful. Definitely worth a try but the
flavor is definitely unique and may not be for everyone. Its heat is a strong
medium level that never gets too hot.

E=MC2
Many Chile Hot SauceOkay, it's a cute name
("E" is for Enjoyment, "M" is for Many and "C" is for Chile) but this really
is somewhat of a disappointment as a hot sauce. It is quite mild with a tartness that
makes it a flavorful sauce. If you have a tender palate, this might be
a good sauce to start with however for the experienced palate, I suggest
passing on this sauce if you are after heat and flavor. One good point
on this sauce is that the tartness does make for a nice flavor.

Ed's
Red XX Hot SauceThe label on this sauce proclaims it to be
"an oyster's best friend." Only if the oyster is on the half shell and
is about to be eaten, that is. This sauce derives most of its bite from
horseradish yet I concur that it would be delicious on raw oysters. It seems to
be the main focus for its complex flavor. However don't stop there. I find it
great for seafood stews and if you make a homemade shrimp cocktail sauce, you
absolutely need some of Ed's Red in it to complete the recipe. The ingredients
are rather simple: tomato sauce, horseradish, unnamed peppers, lemon juice,
garlic, onions and salt. However Ed has balanced all those ingredients very well
with no one ingredient truly standing out on its own. Instead they all work
together to provide delicious flavor. It does have some kick to it and the heat
level is solidly medium. Go sprinkle some on some oysters today.

Effin
Texas Roasted Jalapeno Honey Hot SauceThis isn't really a hot sauce but rather a sweet
sauce that would be better suited as a glaze. Very sweet with just a touch of
heat that is an outstanding ham glaze (give it a try). Very, very thick with
plenty of bits of pepper liberally mixed in. It is a combination of
jalapenos and honey mixed in a chili sauce base and onions, lime juice, garlic,
olive oil, liquid smoke, pepper and salt. It doesn't fit the classic definition
of a hot sauce per se but don't let that discourage you. Being so thick and
sticky, using is as a baste or a glaze is highly recommended. Grilling some
chicken? Put some of this sauce on as a finishing sauce. Allow it to just start
to get brown and caramelized on the grilled chicken but don't let it burn. Good
stuff!

El
Charrito Hot SauceA fairly good all purpose Mexican hot sauce
made with unnamed red peppers (cayenne perhaps?) salt, allspice, sugar, herbs,
spices, vinegar and some other standard ingredients (water, etc.). A thin sauce
with a somewhat unique flavor brought on mainly by the allspice. Its heat level
is on the low end of medium so use to your heart's content but don't use too
much or the flavor might overwhelm your food. A solid sauce overall.

El
Gallo Colorado Pepper SauceThis is a thick sauce with a dark yellowish hue.
It contains not only habanero peppers giving it a definite high heat level but
also onions, distilled vinegar,
salt, tumeric, annatto, coriander and garlic. I'm not fond of the flavor. It
seems to have too much tumeric giving it an unpleasant bitterness that can ruin
some dishes. It would work well in some recipes, but the earthy, bitter flavor
of tumeric just seems to be a tad too much for this sauce. I feel if it were
lessened somewhat, the flavors would blend much better. I give it a cautious
recommendation.

El
Paso Chile Co, La Salsa LocaA very interesting hot sauce made with "tequila
nacional" as well as tomato puree, chile de arbol, chipotles, chile
cascabel puree, pineapple juice, lime juice, honey, cider vinegar, sea salt,
onion & garlic. It has a very unique flavor that hints of salsa but still
offers a complex variety of flavors, none of which overwhelms. You can clearly
taste not only the sweetness of the honey but also the citrus flavor from the
lime juice. The ingredients are superbly blended. It has a heat level that is on
the low end of medium that slowly builds up but never gets too hot. Overall this
is one of the most unique sauces I have tried in a long time and well worth
trying.

Elysian Isle
Waha Wera Kiwifruit & Habanero SauceAccording to the label “waha
wera” means “burning mouth.” Well, it’s not much of a burn. A good long warmup,
but not a burn. This sauce is from the folks that make Kaitaia Fire sauce from
New Zealand that I discovered many years ago. This sauce is labeled as an
organic sauce since it uses certified organic habanero chilies. Whatever.
However the sweetness in this sauce comes from a combination of kiwifruit, sugar
& Manuka honey. It also contains salt and unnamed spices. Now speaking for
myself, this sauce is a tad too sweet for my tastes especially if you’re
planning on using it in savory dishes. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, just
not my thing. However, with that said, this sauce would be ideal for making your
own pepper jelly or dessert with some kick to it. It’s quite flavorful and if
you taste some right out of the bottle, you’ll taste the sweetness right away
and then wonder where the heat is. Wait. It’ll come sauntering across your
tongue. I did say earlier that it’s a “good long warmup” and it’s an apt
description. The heat is never overpowering but does linger nicely longer than
many sauces. All the while never overpowering the sauce’s flavor (heck, with all
that sweetness, it would be hard to overpower). This is another good sauce from
New Zealand, but I feel it’s uses may be limited by it’s high sweetness content.

Endorphin
Rush: Beyond Hot SauceAn extremely HOT sauce. If
you want heat, this is a sauce for you. What's interesting about this sauce is
that not only is it extremely hot, it is also quite flavorful. The pepper
(unnamed) extract is blended with tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and
molasses to make the flavor quite sweet as well. A good flavorful sauce, but be
careful...use only a few drops at a time. For experienced pepperheads only!

Fig's
One Drop Hot SauceThis sauce in an eyedropper
bottle, implies by its title as well by its ingredient list that it is an
extremely hot sauce. It isn't. In my humble opnion, this cayenne-based sauce is
solidly upper level of medium with a slow buildup. Its flavor is not unpleasing,
but does not really add nor detract from the dish in which it is used. However,
you pretty much have to use much more that "one drop" to get any
appreciable level of heat in soups, stews, dips and other foods.

Fire Frog Tropical
HeatAccording to the label, this sauce was
inspired by the native red frog of the Costa Rican rainforest. Its heat level
is on the upper end of low heat, but it has a good flavor from the mixture of
jalapeno peppers, red habenero peppers, sweet peppers, white vinegar, onion,
salt, lemon juice and other spices. It has a medium thickness and a nice dark
green color. The sauce's flavor is quite good coming from the jalapeno peppers.
Try it sometime.

Fire
In The HoleThis Tejas Gourmet brand
habanero hot sauce is a simplistic blending of habanero peppers with vinegar
salt and onion. A pretty basic, straight-ahead hot sauce that is not overly
hot even though the primary chile used is the habanero. I would place the
heat level at medium with a typical salty/vinegar flavor. All in all it's
good, usable all-purpose hot sauce.

Firehouse
Brand Thai Peanut SauceThis sauce, manufactured
in Denver, Colorado is a delightful blend of peanuts, chile paste, ginger,
fish sauce, cilantro and other spices. Interesting that fish sauce is included,
but rest assured there is no "fishy" taste at all. Instead this rather
mild sauce (just a touch of heat) has a good nutty flavor that will compliment
many foods. I suggest adding this to your stir-fry, creamy soups and various
dips to an interesting taste variation.

Firestarter Hot SauceOkay, first of all, it's a bit of an
overstatement to name this sauce "Firestarter." It just isn't THAT
hot. That's about the only downside to this sauce. Although it contains habanero
peppers, the heat level is on the upper end of low to perhaps the low end of
medium. Great flavor however. This is a thick sauce, almost syrupy in nature and
that apparently comes from the tomato puree, brown sugar and various syrups.
This also gives it a distinguished flavor when combined with the habanero and
datil peppers, worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, vinegar and other
unspecified spices. There is a distinct sweetness upon first taste but then the
heat begins to build, but always just below a sweat-producing level. And that
heat never overtakes the flavor making it a little out of balance, but
fortunately in the flavor's favor. The sweetness may limit what to use it in
somewhat, but it is advantageous to use this in dishes that you'd like sweetness
and a little bite.

Flaming
Ass Friendly Fire Habanero Green SauceThis hot sauce combines
green habanero pepper mash and green jalapeno pepper mash with a unique
combination of organic apple cider, garlic juice, vinegar, rice syrup,
lime juice, onion powder and other spices to create a quite good although
somewhat unusual taste. Use this sauce cautiously for it is quite hot,
but not overwhelming. The flavor will complement many foods with a slight
tartness and just a hint of sweetness. This is quite a good sauce.

Flaming
Ass Friendly Fire Habanero Hot SauceThe "kissing cousin"
of the Habanero Green Sauce from the Flaming Ass folks, this sauce is remarkably
unique in of itself. This sauce combines organic habanero peppers, aged
cayenne chilies and chipotle peppers with organic apple cider, honey, garlic
juice, ginger, onion powder, lime juice and other spices to create a sweet,
yet slightly smoky hot sauce. As with the Habanero Green sauce, this sauce
is also pretty hot but not overwhelming. Personally, this sauce really
complements a cream cheese-based dip and also is quite good in thick soups,
but will complement a myriad of foods.

Frontera Roasted Sweet Chipotle SauceThis is a wonderful sauce utilizing chipotle, ancho and
guajillo blended with tomatillos, garlic, onions, brown sugar, cider vinegar,
herbs and spices. The roasted sweet chipotles give this sauce a sweet and smokey
flavor and the heat level is a solid medium level that slowly builds on the
tongue. This is a very good all-purpose sauce.

Fusion Fire
Everyday Hot SauceUpon first glance, I could tell this was a complex hot
sauce. Thick and dark with bits and pieces of peppers, herbs and spices clearly
visible. Reading the ingredients only confirmed this: fresh scotch bonnet
peppers, fresh jalapenos, fresh goat peppers, fresh cayenne, birdseye peppers,
habanero chipotle, Tellicherry black (peppercorns, I assume), french roast
expresso, chili powder, cider vinegar and several other spices. Their label
claims the hot sauce "builds slowly as the peppers express themselves one
after another in different parts of the mouth" and I can confirm this to be
true. However what they don't tell you is that this heat, which never
overwhelms, lingers. It does start off slow and low but rather rapidly warms up
to a wonderful palatable warmth. What I really like about this sauce is that it
adds to dishes and doesn't overwhelm as long as you don't put too much in at one
time. This sauce is definitely qualifies on the upper end of medium to the lower
end of high but it doesn't hit you all at once. With that in mind, take it slow
at first until you find just the perfect amount for your food and I firmly
believe you will agree with me when I say this is a sauce that will be a very
welcome addition to your pantry.

The
Garlic Survival Co.'s Garlic SalsaImmediately upon tasting
this "salsa," I wondered if this was a mislabeled spaghetti sauce. With
a strong garlic flavor and only a hint of hot pepper (jalapeno according
to the label, but very little heat is actually there), this salsa would
be equally at home on a bed of pasta. If you like garlic and mildness,
this is the salsa for you. About the only thing this lacks to make it a
pasta sauce is the oregano. It's still quite a flavorful sauce. Try it
on broiled chicken or in burritos. Recommended for guests who aren't up
to hotter salsas.

Garden Row Foods, Inc.
Chipotle Pepper SauceThis sauce is a pretty good
chipotle sauce with a combination of chipotle and cayenne peppers blended with
vinegar, salt and spices. A bit on the tart side with a medium level of heat,
but nonetheless a decent sauce.

Gator
Bait Snappy Red SauceThis sauce is a very good red
sauce one could readily use on tacos. Definitely "snappy" as the label
indicates, but in regards to flavor and not heat since it is quite a mild sauce.
Quite usable as a taco sauce with a tangy vinaigrette flavor that comes from a
blend of "select" unamed peppers, water, vinegar, soy oil, vegetables,
corn syrup, corn starch and a secret blend of spices.

Gator Snowbird Surprise Hot
SauceFirst of all, some
explanation is in order: this sauce is a Florida-based sauce with a humorous
label depicting one alligator picking his teeth and holding a auto license plate
reading "SNOBRD" while another gator (wearing sunglasses!) is to the
right whistline merrily while carrying several license plates including one from
Michigan and one from Ontario. You see, the term "snowbirds" refers to
folks from the upper half of the United States and all of Canada who come down
during the winter months to escape the cold in their hometowns. It's a term used
affectionately by most Floridians (myself included). The label to pokes a little
fun at the "dumb tourist" stereotype. Anyway, this sauce is actually
no joke. It's a rather thick sauce with a nice medium-high level of heat and a
whole lot of taste. Scotch Bonnet peppers, cayenne peppers and crushed red
peppers are nicely blended with onions, carrots, mango, ginger, cinnamon and red
wine vinegar to create a delicious sauce. The cinnamon and ginger are just
noticable enough to give this sauce a delicate edge. Definitely one to get while
vacationing in the Sunshine State of Florida.

Gil's
Crying Tongue Hot SauceA sauce with the claim
"The dare to drop-in sauce!", this is an interesting combination of smokey
flavor with some sweetness to it. The heat is not overpowering even though
it is made from a combination of habanero and red savina peppers, but it
definitely sneaks up on your for a very nice warm glow. I would put the
heat level at the upper level of medium, almost to a high level. This sauce
does well in soups, sauces and many recipes calling for hot peppers.

Global
Warming Tamarind Chipotle SauceThis sauce, manufactured
by "The Firehouse" in Denver, Colorado is a fiery pepper sauce made from
a blend of chipotles, tamarinds, onions, garlic, tomato and other spices.
A good usable hot sauce with a balanced chipotle flavor, it unfortunately
has nothing really extraordinary to set it apart form other chipotle or
tamarind sauces. However it is not a bad hot sauce to purchase if a better
one (like Bustelo's or Mo Hotta-Mo Betta) is not available.

Goin' Bananas Hot SauceThe label on this sauce from Peppers of Key West informs me
that it's "the hot sauce with a-peel" however only the pun is bad.
Excusable since this sauce has such a wonderful, rich flavor. The unique
combination of bananas, raisins, tamarinds, honey and key lime juice are blended
well with habanero & chipotle peppers, red wine vinegar, worcestershire
sauce, onions, garlic, tomato and brown sugar to make an excellent sweet &
hot sauce. Don't get intimidated by the habaneros, though. The sweetness reduces
the intense habaneros down to a very palatable warmth that should satisfy the
experienced pepperhead as well as initiate those newly converted pepperheads. But
keep in mind, this is a sweet sauce with good medium heat so taste-test a bit
with what you plan on using. This sauce may not be appropriate for every dish,
but it will complement many foods extremely well.

Habanero
HurricaneA fruity sauce made from
habaneros and red chiles combined with peaches and raspberry wine. This
sauce is quite sweet as well as very hot. No bitterness to this sauce as
you find with some fruit based sauces and the sweetness is not overpowering.
I suggest using this in dips as well as some adult beverage that normally
call for a dash of tabasco.

Half Moon Bay Trading Co.
Iguana Gold Island Pepper SauceThis Costa Rican sauce
distributed from Jacksonville, Florida is an interestingly flavorful sauce. The
cayenne & habanero peppers, cane sugar, carrots, salt, onions, cucumbers,
corn starch, mustard, vinegar, cumin, garlic & other spices make for what I
consider the best sauce in the Half Moon Bay Trading Company's Iguana line of
hot sauces. It has a solidly medium level of heat with excellent flavor. It has
a slightly smoky flavor with some sweetness. A nice warm glow results from this
sauce. Overall, an excellent, well balanced sauce.

Half
Moon Bay Trading Co. Iguana Mean Green Jalapeno Pepper SauceThis is a chunky sauce made
from jalapeno peppers, fresh carrots, onions & garlic, corn vinegar, sugar,
salt and corn starch with a hint of tartness. The heat level is rather mild from
the jalapeno peppers yet the overall flavor is very good. This would be a
good sauce for the beginning pepperhead.

Half
Moon Bay Trading Co. Iguana Radioactive Atomic Pepper SauceThe label on this sauce lists
the ingredients as "several different top-secret hot pepper" along
with carrots, onions, lime juice, corn vinegar, tomato paste, salt and garlic
making it definitely the hottest sauce in the line of Iguana sauces. They claim
it's the hottest they can make it "without added pepper extracts"
(also according to the label). Definitely a sauce for the experienced pepperhead.
The heat level is on the high end of the scale but not so much as to overwhelm
the flavor. The lime juice and garlic is definitely evident. Quite a good sauce.

Half
Moon Bay Trading Co. Iguana XXX Habanero Pepper SauceThe habanero peppers are
blended with carrots, onions, garlic, cane vinegar, tomato paste, salt and lime
to create a sauce with a heat level that is on the upper end of medium. This
sauce has a good flavor albeit somewhat salty and its consistency is thick and
chunky.

Happy Dogs Gourmet Hot SauceThe three dogs (Oscar, Coney
& Brigitte) certainly look happy on the label and you will too with this
sauce. Quite flavorful with a nice touch of garlic, this vinegar based sauce is
not only enough to give you a nice sweat, but it also will add a good flavor to
a number of foods. Utilizing a blend of cider vinegar, garlic and salt with
cayenne and aged habanero peppers, this sauce definitely is on the lower end of
high heat. But it never is really overpowering. The vinegar is definitely
noticable in the mixture but not overwhelming like you can find in some sauces.
Overall it's a good balance of ingredients which makes for a very versatile
sauce.

Hawaiian Passion Lilikoi Hot
SauceThis Hawaiian sauce is not
very hot but has an interesting fruit flavor made from a blend of Thai Bird
Chili's, Hawaiian Chili peppers, Lilikoi (also known as passion fruit), water
and vinegar. It is thin is consistency and has a golden orange hue. The
delicate flavor definitely comes from the Lilikoi fruit. It is a subtle flavor
so this sauce would probably be best suited for dishes with subtle flavors as
well.

Hawaiian Passion Pineapple
Pepper SauceThe name of the sauce pretty
much says it all. This is a pineapple-based hot sauce made with pineapple juice,
water, Thai Bird Chili's, Hawaiian chili peppers, salt and vinegar. Really not
much heat to it at all, but quite unusual with a very strong pineapple flavor.
It has a thin consistency and a golden red hue. Definitely unique and worth trying.

Hell SauceAn imported sauce from Grand
Cayman, British West Indies with an interesting hint of sweetness and a slow
burn to boot. The interesting thing is that even though this sauce contained
scotch bonnet peppers, it's heat is a slow burn that does not overwhelm. The
peppers, along with the tomatoes, onions, garlic, thyme, salt and vinegar create
a semi-sweet flavor that can definitely enhance some food. However I suggest
being cautious as to what foods you use this on for the semi-sweet flavor might
conflict.

Holy
Hannah Habanero Pepper SauceThis is a pepper sauce for
pros only. No amateurs please. This sauce is one of the hottest I have sampled
and it does not hesitate. No slow buildup here. This sauce is extreme at the
outset. The flavor comes from a blend of fresh habanero peppers,
onions, carrots, garlic, distilled vinegar, lime juice and canola oil but be
forewarned, use too much and you won't be able to taste anything. Use a few
drops at a time. However this sauce does have a nice mild flavor certain to
enhance food. It's consistency is thick with pepper seeds and bits of peppers as
well. Overall a very good habanero sauce.

Hombre
Loco Tequila Jalapeno SauceI was sincerely hoping this
would be a tasty jalapeno sauce, but was sorely disappointed upon my initial
taste. To be brutally honest, the flavor made me wince...badly. Even though it
has some heat, the flavor is extremely bitter and the tequila overwhelming. It's
extremely watery as well and stayed watery even though I shook the bottle
vigorously. The ingredients making up this sauce is short and sweet: jalapeno
peppers, vinegar, tequila, brown sugar and salt. And to be short and
not-so-sweet in response - skip this sauce. Hopefully they will reconsider and
reformulate the recipe to make it more palatable in the future but for now I
cannot recommend this sauce for anyone. Even tequila lovers.

Hot
Scotch Island-Style Marinade With PapayaLet me say on the outset that
this is by far the most interesting and unique marinade that I have tried in a
very long time. I tried this marinade on some chicken and it turned out
delicious. Even though Scotch bonnet peppers are used, it is mildly spicy but
extremely flavorful. This sweet and spicy flavor comes from a blend of Scotch
bonnet peppers, papaya puree, apple cider vinegar, unsulphured molasses, orange
peel, ginger, onion, garlic, allspice, salt and spices. The heat level is
definitely low but the flavor level is very high and this marinate is
recommended for use on any meat you would normally marinade. One suggestion: use
a "Cajun Injector" or similar product to inject this marinade into the
meat prior to cooking. That will give it a wonderful flavor and keep the meat
very moist.

Hot
Scotch Jamaican Style Pepper JellyQuite an interesting
variation on the typical hot pepper product. This is a sweet jelly with a major
kick. This jelly has a wonderful sweet flavor from the scotch bonnet peppers,
but be forewarned, the heat will come soon thereafter. And with bits of peppers
in the jelly, that heat will definitely stick with you for a while. If you tend
to use mint jelly with lamb this is a delightful alternative and if you are
truly a hardcore pepperhead, try this with toast, bagels and English muffins.
Give it a try.

Hot
Wachula's Chipotle Hot SauceThis is a fairly mild sauce
that is also loaded with flavor. It has only jalapenos, chipotles and roasted
red peppers so the heat level can't be too high. And combine that with tomatoes,
lime juice, brown sugar, roasted onions, garlic, salt and unspecified spices and
you'll end up with a beginner's sauce that has a hint of heat yet full of taste.
It has a mixture of sweetness and smokiness with the balance tipping clearly in
favor of the sweet. This won't please those who are searching for a full blown
burn, but might be a good starter sauce for newbies.

Howl
(It's A Scream) Hot SauceHigh heat. Slap you upside
your head heat. Feel like your tongue's melting heat. However even though it's
definitely one of the hotter sauces out there, the flavor is terrible leaving an
even worse aftertaste. The label lists the sauce has crillo peppers, garlic,
prepared mustard, white vinegar, tomatoes, salt, cilantro, herbs and spices.
Avoid this hot sauce.

Hula Girl Chipotle Habanero Hot SauceThis hot sauce won the 2004
Fiery Food Challenge sponsored by Chile Pepper magazine. I can see or rather
taste why it won. A simple blend of habanero, jalapeno and chipotle peppers
along with vinegar and salt make for a delightful flavor with a very good amount
of heat. This sauce definitely adds heat with flavor to any dish. The chipotle
peppers give a slightly smoky flavor but the habaneros definitely give it an
extra kick. Definitely recommended.

Iceman's Voodoo Joose Hot SauceThe label indicates the contents have “sweet heat”
and with habanero peppers as the chief heat source, I was expecting something
with a lot of heat, but actually it’s a good solid medium level of heat that
lingers yet never overpowers. What makes this sauce remarkable is the flavor
which according to the label consists of pineapple mustard (I don’t know if
that’s actually pineapple AND mustard or a “pineapple mustard” since there’s no
comma between the two words), brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, salt, chili
powder, (unspecified) spices and red pepper. I may be imagining things but there
seems to be a hint of cumin in this sauce but that may be due to the chili
powder. It’s a fairly thick sauce which makes me wonder why they put one of
those plastic pour-reducer (I don’t know what else to call it) that usually
comes on bottles of thin sauces. I had to remove it to get a good flow from the
bottle. All that brown sugar and molasses definitely tones down the heat from
the habanero peppers so that “sweet heat” is definitely a deliciously truthful
claim for this thick and rich sauce.

Inner Beauty Real Hot SauceThis flavorful sauce
has obviously been created by folks with a sense of humor. The label on
the back gives testimony of this:

"Keep away from pets,
open flames, unsupervised children, and bad advice. This is not a toy.
This is serious. Stand up straight, sit right, and stop mumbling. Warning:
Hottest sauce in North America."

An amusing paragraph nonetheless,
but actually this sauce is clearly NOT the hottest sauce in North America.
Not even close. The heat is on the solid side of medium even though it
claims to be made from habanero peppers, but it does have a very good flavor
from fruits (pineapple, orange, papaya, lemon) as well as cider vinegar,
prepared mustard, honey, dried onion, paprika, soybean oil and various
other spices. Overall quite a good sauce.

Island Grove West Indies Peppa SauceNo, it's not a typo, the label does have it spelled "Peppa"
but it's much more than that, it's a highly flavorful and fruity concoction from
Florida that, like many Jamaican style sauces, is extremely versatile. Although
it has only a slight bite of heat, this sauce has a rich flavor originating from
worchestershire, raisins, brown sugar, tomato paste, mango, vinegar, salt,
onions and other spices. You'd think by using habanero peppers, this would have
more of a burn but with so much sugar and fruit cutting it, it can be enjoyed by
even the most tender-tongued. The sauce's consistency is very thick and rich
while it's color is a dark, dark brown. Quite a good sauce.

I.T. [Internal Torture] Hot SauceTorture? From a hot sauce? Say it ain't so! Actually,
as I found out when sampling this chunky sauce, that it's really not as
torturous as the label implies. It has a solid medium level of heat that does
linger, but it's not too bad. It gets the heat from red habanero peppers but
it's cut somewhat with carrots and tomatoes. It also has white vinegar,
onions, salt, lemon juice, garlic, spices and cilantro. Now cilantro is not
something I enjoy. I am one of those rare individuals that has a gene which
causes cilantro to taste like soap. No kidding! My wife and I both taste
cilantro the same way. However, whatever the amount of cilantro used in this
sauce isn't noticeable. On the other hand, it is pretty doggoned salty. I think
it would make for a better sauce if the amount used was lessened somewhat. I
feel it is a good, all-purpose sauce but keep that saltiness in mind when using
it in recipes and directly on foods.

Jamaica
Hell Fire Hot Pepper ConcentrateThe instructions on this
pepper sauce tell you how to dilute it to "normal" strength, but what exactly
is "normal"? Personally, I suggest using it straight out of the bottle
(sparingly, of course for it is quite hot) to properly experience the flavor
from its sun-ripened tropical hot peppers and blue mountain pimentos.

Jo-B's
Chilipaya Island Rojo SauceThis sauce, which won
first place at the Austin [Tx.] Chronicle Hot Sauce Competition, is a unique
blend of fresh red habaneros, papaya, lime juice, onion, coconut milk,
garlic and other spices. With so many exotic fruits used one would think
it originated in some equally exotic locale. However this sauce is made
in the rather unexotic state of Vermont. Even though there are several
different exotic flavors within this sauce, this is not an overly sweet
sauce by any stretch of the imagination. However this sauce isn't for wimps
either. The fresh red habaneros make this sauce quite hot (almost too hot)
so use sparingly.

Jose
Goldstein Roasted Garlic & Chipotle Hot SauceThis thick sauce (with plenty of bits of pepper) combines
smokiness and garlic with a nice medium heat level in a delightful way. The
first thing you taste is the smokiness of the chipotle peppers and then the
garlic flavor comes through. THEN a slow buildup of heat begins that compliments
the flavors rather than overwhelms. It's a solid medium level of heat that is
well balanced with the flavors (chipotle peppers, habanero peppers, tomato
paste, garlic, onions, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, vinegar and unspecified
spices). This would not only be good on grilled meats, but it could be used
effectively on shrimp as well. This is a delicious sauce.

Jump Up And Kiss Me Hot SauceWith a lipstick kiss
on the label and a nibble rather than a bite in the bottle, this sauce
is an interesting hot sauce. The heat kisses you nice and easy
yet builds up to a little nibble (that's my cutesy way of saying it's a
rather mild, yet spicy sauce). Even though this sauce contains a blend of
habaneros, vinegar, papaya, honey, onions, ginger, garlic and spices it is
neither overly hot, overly sweet nor overly fruity. Instead this sauce has a
delightful flavor that accentuates whatever food one uses it with (I like to add
some into soups). An
added bonus is that this sauce is salt-free so those on a low sodium diet
may enjoy it as well.

Jump
Up And Kiss Me Smoky Chipotle SauceAnother sauce with a lipstick kiss
on the label and a nibble rather than a bite in the bottle, this sauce
is an interesting sweet chipotle sauce. Overall, this is a good general usage sauce
consisting of chipotle and morita chiles, roasted red peppers, fresh onions
and garlic, apple cider vinegar and raisins. Also this sauce contains an
amount of Dutch cocoa although I could not detect it by tasting it. As with the
original Jump Up and Kiss Me hot sauce, this sauce is salt-free.

Kaitaia
Fire Chili Pepper SauceThis sauce from New Zealand
is similar to the Louisiana-style cayenne pepper sauce, but on the mild
end of the heat scale. The ingredients are simplistic (chili peppers, vinegar
and salt) and according to the label "the chilis used in Kaitia Fire [Sauce]
are sunripened in New Zealand's Far North, barrel aged like a fine wine
and blended to create a superior piquant flavour." Well it works for me.
The label does not give any detailed information on what sort of specific
type of chili pepper is used, but whatever it is, the peppers plus their
unique blend method make for quite a tasty sauce. Although not as hot as
many Louisiana-style sauces (actually the heat in this sauce is fairly
mild) the flavor makes this sauce a recommendable one to try if you run
across it at your local store.

Kalahari African Rhino
Peri-Peri SauceI like this sauce
quite a lot. Just missing my favorites list. A nice solid medium heat which
lingers but does not overwhelm. The ingredients consist of roasted tomatoes,
onion, cider vinegar, lemon juice, canola oil, roasted garlic, sugar, salt and
spice. All of that with African peri-peri peppers which, according to the label,
come from Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is a somewhat thick sauce with plenty of
bits of pepper to give it a little extra kick. It has a slight sweetness and a
tartness from the lemon juice. Overall its complex flavor complements the heat
it brings.

Kaua'i Hot SauceA very sweet and spicy
sauce that is more akin to pancake syrup than your typical sauce, but being from
such an exotic locale (Hawaii) one would expect something exotic. Not only does
it have a nice bite to it from the red habanero peppers, it also has a very
sweet flavor from a combination of guava and lilikoi (passion fruit). Those
ingredients are blended with ginger juice and Hawaiian sea salt to create this
exotic sweet & syrupy hot sauce. Far too sweet for my tastes in hot sauces,
but a unique flavor that will appeal to some. I just personally have no idea
where I could use this effectively. Perhaps over ice cream? Hmmmm....I may have
something.

Lottie's
Bajan-Cajun Premium Hot Pepper SauceEven though "Lottie's"
makes an outrageously good mustard-based sauce, this rather chunky Louisiana-style
hot sauce is somewhat of a letdown. The flavor is merely average with a
medium heat and the consistency is more pepper-mash than sauce-like consisting
of hot peppers (unidentified; possibly cayenne), vinegar, onion, garlic
and salt. Overall, not a bad sauce, but nothing really memorable either.

Louisiana
Gold Pepper SauceThis sauce, made from
peppers (probably cayenne and tabasco) and other standard Louisiana-style
pepper sauce ingredients is a fairly bland and uninteresting pepper sauce.
It's okay if you can't find McIlhenny's or Trappey's.

"WARNING: the heat of this hot sauce is like a Louisiana swamp gator.
Once it bites you, it doesn't let go."

Okay, I get it. It's gonna be
hot, hot, hot, right? Well with warnings like that, I expected my tongue to be
blazing immediately after sampling some straight from a spoon. No such luck.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a wimpy sauce. But the tongue-in-cheek "warnings"
were a little overkill but heed them nonetheless. Putting too much on or in
foods might put your tongue in overkill. I put the heat at the upper level of
medium after it reaches its crescendo after building up on those taste
receptors. It also claims to have unspecified "creole seasonings" in it but
frankly, nothing really jumped out at me in regards to any noticeable creole
flavor. It does has some sharp tartness to it. Pretty decent, all purpose type
sauce.

Mad
Dog Green Amigo Hot SauceA very mild red wine
vinegar-based jalapeno sauce. This sauce, which also has lime juice, fresh
cilantro, onions and garlic is not really hot at all, but does add some
zest to homemade salsa and vinegar-and- oil salad dressings.

Madder'n
Hell Hot SauceThis "Floribbean style"
sauce from the Madeira Beach Mad Pepper Co. (whadda name, eh?) is a pungent
concoction of bell peppers, chipotles, anchos, cayenne, habaneros, tomato,
oregano, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onions and other spices. It is quite
warm (a solid medium heat level) with a slight barbecue smokiness which
makes for a delightful sauce. The bottle I got has a label created from
a color computer printer which goes to show that slick labeling is not
always needed for a good sauce.

Makai Hot Sauce
This Hawaiian hot sauce is a Limu (Ogo) Habanero pepper
sauce with an ingredient list that includes ginger juice, limu (seaweed),
anchovies, lime juice, red habanero peppers, apple cider vinegar, miso,
Worcestershire sauce & Hawaiian sea salt. It's both a sweet and savory sauce
with a mild level of heat. The flavor from the miso and the anchovies are indeed
noticable but not overpowering. Although Hawaiian in origin, it's Oriental
influence is clearly present.

Maui Hot SauceThis Hawaiian hot sauce is a
complex mixture and with complex mixtures, you get a complex taste. This sauce
is no exception. Containing many ingredients (red habanero peppers, Maui onions,
brown sugar, ginger juice, tomatoes, Hawaiian sea salt, white wine vinegar,
garlic, cumin and coriander) this sauce starts off sweet, but rapidly builds up
to a nice warm burn that never overwhelms the flavor. Its consistency is about
average for a sauce with bits of onion and peppers mixed it. An extremely good
sauce to obtain.

McIlhenny
Co. Tabasco Brand Spicy Soy SauceSoy sauce? From McIlhenny Company? Sure, it
was surprising when I found this on the shelf of one particular store, but what
the heck, it's got to be worth a try. Besides I love spicy oriental cooking and
soy sauce is always a nice addition to a soup or fried rice. Reflecting upon the
idea, it seemed kind of logical to offer a spicy soy sauce. Unfortunately with
this sauce, it's more "soy" than "spicy." Personally I
didn't really much heat with this sauce, but as far as soy sauces go, it's
pretty nice. But if you are looking for heat, pass this one by.

Micanopy Gold Hot
SauceA very nice sauce that says
it is "sweet before heat" which is true, but the heat is not far
behind the sweet. A pretty hot sauce with a heat level on the low end of high
heat and a flavor derived from a blend of habanero peppers, pure cane
syrup, tomato sauce, distilled vinegar, fresh onions, mustard, celery, garlic,
sugar, garlic salt and spice. It is a fairly thick sauce with generous chunks of
peppers and other ingredients. The flavor is not overly sweet and is
complemented by the garlic and onion. According to the label:

"Micanopy
Hot Sauce bares [sic] the name of Florida's oldest inland town (second to St.
Augustine). Recent archaeological
evidence shows human occupation in the Micanopy area
over the last 2000 years. The town is named after the Seminole Chief Micanopy
(Mick-a-no-pee), a
king over a king."

Overall,
this Florida sauce is extremely tasty and worthy of addition to anyone's pantry.

Mr. Blister's
Garlic Extreme Louisiana Pepper SauceOkay garlic lovers, here's a sauce that is probably the
closest thing to garlic overkill that I have come across. This pepper sauce from
Prairieville, Louisiana is definitely garlic heavy and will make you
vampire-proof for quite a while. This fairly simple blend of cayenne peppers,
minced garlic, vinegar, sea salt and spices is not very hot, but definitely will
add a major garlic zest to any dish. In fact, it is chock full of chunks of
garlic in the sauce.

Moloka'i Hot SauceWith more than just a
little trepidation I sampled this banana and curry themed orange habanero sauce.
Having a major aversion to curry, my review is going to be slanted so keep that
in mind especially if you enjoy curry. Also the combination of banana and curry
really didn't sound that appealing either. Plus the color of the sauce (sort of
a burnt gold color with a bit of olive drab) left a little to be desired. But
you know what? This sauce ain't half bad! Actually it's pretty
good. As with the character in Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs And Ham" once I
got around to actually trying the sauce, I found the sauce's appeal sort of
growing on me. The curry is not overused as to overwhelm the flavor and the
banana is subtle. Plus the fact that it also has Hawaiian chilies, coconut milk,
lime juice, peanut puree, ginger juice, cilantro and Hawaiian sea salt makes for
quite the unique sauce. The orange habanero's heat is cut quite a bit due to the
sweetness, but it still offers a nice warm glow in addition to the flavor. I
found a little in shrimp bisque is delicious. Also use it in chicken dishes as
well.

Mongo
Hot SauceAn oriental-style sauce
made from a blend of soy sauce, cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers, sesame
seeds, sesame seed oil, garlic powder, etc. is quite a good sauce with
a nice flavor reminiscent of any good Chinese restaurant. Not a particularly
hot sauce, but lotsa flavor. Use this in stir-fry as well on grilled foods.

Montgomery's
Fire Lizard Habanero
Hot SauceThis sauce comes to you from the folks at
www.montysgourmet.com
and it is HOT. It won't hit you upside the head immediately, but it will slowly
build until you sweat. This is not a sauce for beginner or the faint of heart
(or faint of tongue). It is a vinegar-based sauce and contains horseradish,
ground ginger and ground annatto along with the Red Savina peppers but none of
the ingredients (especially the ginger and horseradish) are overpowering.
Instead the sauce's ingredients are balanced and blended extremely well. An
excellent sauce to add to your pantry.

Monty's Smoke And Fire Apple Smoked
Habanero
Hot SauceIf you want a unique vinegar-based sauce made
from Red Savina habanero peppers that will not overwhelm you right away, this is
the one for you. Don't misunderstand, this is not a sauce for beginners. It is
most definitely on the high end of the heat scale, but it is a heat that builds
up slowly and envelopes you with a tight heat hug. Plus its flavor from a
combination of horseradish, ground ginger, ground annatto, vinegar and those
apple smoked Red Savina habanero peppers will complement most foods. The folks
who make this sauce do not overwhelm you with too much horseradish or ginger.
Instead they have managed to balance those strong flavors with the vinegar and
annatto. The smoked habanero peppers give it just a hint of smokiness which only
complements the whole sauce. I recommend this sauce highly.

New Orleans Fabulous Jazz Roasted
Garlic Hot SauceThis sauce is delightfully
good with a huge garlic crunch. Garlic lovers, this IS the sauce
for you! A wonderful flavor coming from a blend of peppers (unnamed, but I
suspect it's cayenne), tomato paste, corn syrup, distilled vinegar, onions,
onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, soybean oil and most importantly,
roasted garlic. They don't skimp on the ingredients either. They make it chunky.
The heat level is medium, but the flavor is high with just enough sweetness and
smokiness for balance. Definitely recommended.

New Orleans Famous Rue Bourbon (Bourbon
Street) Hot SauceOh boy! The Rue Bourbon sauce
will take you back to N'Awlins awash with flavors. Although the heat level is
medium, this sauce has an absolutely outstanding flavor developed from a mixture
of cayenne peppers, tomato paste, corn syrup, onion, garlic, vinegar,
liquid smoke and (believe it or not) charcoal filtered bourbon whiskey. And no,
you don't have to be over 21 to purchase this sauce. It starts off smoky and
tangy at the same time and then a trickle of heat moves in to give you a nice
warm feeling on the palate. It has a fairly dense consistency full of chunky
bits of pepper, herbs and spices. If you run across this sauce in a store or
online, you should buy at least one bottle.

New Orleans Flambeaux Rouge
Mardi Gras Hot SauceA pretty decent, yet somewhat
typical Louisiana style hot sauce. The main difference is that this sauce uses
habanero peppers rather than the standard cayenne or tabasco peppers which makes
for an intensely hot yet flavorful sauce. A fairly nice sauce on the low end of
high heat.

NOH Hawaiian Hot SauceThis isn't really much of
a hot sauce, but don't let that stop you from getting this. It contains unnamed
chili peppers which give it a little lift but the flavor is outstanding.
Definitely an oriental style sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, soy bean
paste, honey, rice sugar, onion, garlic and chili peppers. Great for
stir-frying as well as marinades. Very dark color with a thin consistency,
I recommend using this also in sauces and dips. Quite delicious for all.

North
Shore Force 10 Dangerous Hot SauceThe
ingredient list has several exotic peppers in this sauce:
red Caribbean
habanero peppers, red Congo habanero peppers and Thai peppers along with
vinegar, salt and “nature seasonings” (whatever they are). With all those major
hot peppers and nothing to cut it, I expected major heat. And I wasn't
disappointed. However unlike some super-hot sauces on the market where the heat
hits you like getting smacked with a wooden bat, this sauce's heat builds up
slowly more than one might expect and then lingers for quite some time. This
Hawaiian sauce has a good, smooth consistency and very decent flavor. It is
useful in many dishes. However use sparingly.

O'ahu Hot SauceThis ultra-sweet
habanero based hot sauce includes probably one of the most unusual ingredients I
have seen in all my days of being a pepperhead. That ingredient is hibiscus
blossoms. Maybe there are some recipes where such an ingredient works well,
unfortunately this sauce is not one of them. Although the flavor is not too bad,
this is one sauce which has a taste that probably won't have wide appeal. The
heat level in this habanero-based sauce is solidly medium and the flavor comes
from an exotic blend of ginger juice, guava preserves, hibiscus blossoms and
Hawaiian sea salt. Its consistency is syrupy with a dark reddish-golden hue.
Definitely worth trying at least once.

One-Eyed
Willy's Peter Pepper SauceOkay, okay...stop laughing.
There actually is a hot pepper called the "peter pepper" which
incidentally tastes like someone souped up your standard bell pepper with a lot
of cap. Overall, this sauce from Athens, Georgia is bustin' out all over with
flavor created by a skillful blend of aged peter peppers, vinegar, red wine
vinegar, garlic and salt. The ingredients may be basic, but the flavor is
awesome. The sauce itself has somewhat of a thin consistency with bits of pepper
and has a medium level of heat. Definitely a must get for any pepperhead.

Orange Krush Habanero SauceCheck out this list of
ingredients: habanero peppers, vinegar, salt, celery seed, mustard, red pepper,
black pepper, bay leaf, clove, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon and
paprika. Whew! It seems as if they didn't leave out too many spices. However as
the saying goes "too many cooks spoil the broth" and in the case of
this hot sauce, too many spices spoil the flavor. Even though this is an
extremely hot sauce, it's flavor is terrible. They really need to revamp this
sauce. I can not and would not recommend this sauce.

Panola Brand Bat's Brew Hot
SauceFirst of all, this hot sauce is definitely
hot (habanero and jalapeno peppers), but not an overwhelming heat, but a slow
burn that definitely stays with you for a while. The heat, as such, does not
overwhelm the flavor, but the flavor of this sauce is a little too tart for my
personal taste due to the lemon juice. The color of this sauce is rather unique
in that the extremely dark green is what I imagine is Panola's idea of what
"bat's brew" should look like. Along with Panola's Vampfire, this
sauce would make a neat gift for Halloween (imagine buying a case of both and
handing them out to halloween trick or treaters?). Overall this is an okay
sauce. Use sparingly.

Panola
Brand Clearly Hot SauceThis sauce reminds me of those pickled pepper
sauces you see so often in grocery stores, but only in the fact that the liquid
is clear. That's where the similarities stop. The clear label and the bottle
itself holding the whole peppers and garlic slices in the vinegary liquid give
it an artistic appearance. The sauce contained therein is quite delicious and
quite an improvement over all those pickled pepper sauces in the supermarket.
The onion juice and garlic give this sauce a nice flavor with a slight emphasis
on the garlic. I do recommend using this sauce on collard greens (and other
related greens), but don't limit your uses to just that. It's pretty mild as far
as the heat level goes, but darnit, it tastes great.

Panola Brand Extra Hot Hot
SauceIn my humble opinion, this sauce is not as
hot as Panola's Bat's Brew hot sauce, but it definitely is not far behind. This
sauce which contains aged pepper mash, vinegar and salt is another very tart
sauce so I would suggest using this sparingly as to not to overwhelm the food
with its tartness as well as the heat.

Panola
Brand Gourmet Pepper SauceThis cayenne and jalapeno pepper sauce (with
vinegar, onions, sugar, salt and other spice) has a very good flavor with the
onions creating a good balance with the peppers. If you love onions, this is a
pepper sauce for you. The heat level of this sauce is on the low end of medium
and the flavor definitely enhances many foods. Quite a good addition to any
pantry.

Panola Brand
Jalepeno Pepper SauceAt first glance you might
think this is your typical jalapeno sauce however upon tasting it, you'll soon
realize that the folks at Panola have a winner on their hands. The jalapeno
peppers, vinegar, onions, sugar, salt and spices are expertly blended into a
delightful tangy sauce with just a hint of sweetness. This sauce is pretty dense
and is solidly in the medium level of heat. It will build on you the more you
use, but the flavor makes it well worth it.

Panola Brand
Vampfire Hot SauceThis is clearly a "gimmick"
sauce produced by the Panola Pepper Corporation of Lake Providence, Louisiana.
With a vampire on the label and the sauce inside doctored to resemble blood,
a bottle of this sauce would make an interesting trick-or-treat gift at
a halloween party. Using a combination of habanero, tabasco and cayenne
peppers, this sauce is very hot, but it's flavor is not noteworthy. It's
a usable sauce, but without the gimmick, it's not much.

Papa Jack's Buffalo Steak SauceThick, rich and quite a long, slow burn. And
oh, so tasty! That's how this habanero-based hot sauce is. A very complex
mixture of habanero & cayenne peppers, carrot juice, tomato concetrate, corn
syrup, vinegar, onion, white wine, honey, lime juice, white wine vinegar, extra
virgin olive oil, dijion mustard, garlic, raisin paste, orange puree, black
pepper and kosher salt give this sauce a unique flavor along with a veru solid
heat base. It's not so hot that the flavors are overwhelmed and the flavors
themselves compliment broiled meat well. Even those new to hot sauces would do
well using this directly on the meat without suffering. Although many sweet
ingredients were used in this sauce, it is definitely not overly sweet but
instead has a nice balance of sweet and tart which comes off nicely at first
then comes the burn buildup. Although habaneros were used, the heat doesn't hit
suddenly but instead comes on at a moderate pace and builds up to the upper end
of a medium. I recommend this sauce for just about any normal hot sauce usage
but I also recommend using this directly on grilled meats. One particular use I
highly recommend is a substitute for condiments on grilled hamburgers.

Paw Paw & Parrain's
Brand Extra Smooth Cajun Hot SauceDefinitely a very hot
habanero sauce made in Costa Rica and distributed out of Louisiana. How a Costa
Rican sauce is called Cajun escapes me for the moment. Be that as it may, this
sauce suffers a bit from being a tad on the bitter side in flavor. It's nothing
overwhelming, but be careful how much you add to specific dishes (especially
those dishes with a delicate flavor). This sauce is made from habanero &
tabasco peppers combined with cane vinegar, onion, lime juice, garlic, celery,
scallions, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, black pepper,
molasses, salt and olive oil. This recipe may have a few too many ingredients in
it and perhaps it would be improved by cutting a few from the mixture.
Heat-wise, it is plenty hot and has a rather dense consistency.

Pele's Hawaiian Sunset Pepper SauceThis sauce from Honolulu is
definitely hot, but the heat sneaks up on you and puts you into a very warm hug
of heat. The heat level is definitely on the high end, but unlike some very hot
sauces, the heat is not immediate, but builds up rather quickly due to the
Scotch bonnet peppers. The flavor comes from a blend of the peppers, vinegar,
salt, onions and garlic and is fairly standard yet good for a vinegar-based
sauce. A good sauce, but use sparingly.

Pele's Hawaiian Volcano SauceVery similar to the Sunset
pepper sauce above, but with mustard as well. The mustard used in this sauce is
not overwhelming, but is very flavorful with no aftertaste. Also quite hot with
a slow buildup. Another very good sauce.

Pepper'ella Florida Red Hot Pepper SauceThis one is hot...danged hot. Scotch Bonnet peppers abound
in this sauce made from the Scotch Bonnets as well as tomato paste, soya sauce,
garlic, sugar and spices. Even though it does contain sugar, it definitely
isn't enough to keep the peppers from lighting up the palate and causing sweat
to drip down the forehead. The creators
of this sauce were originally from Jamaica and owned a restaurant in Ft. Myers,
Florida for 6 years where they developed this sauce. It's got a thick consistency as well as a good
flavor, but reserve this for experienced pepperheads.

Perk's
Peri-Peri Garlic SauceWell, when I purchased
this sauce, it was placed with the hot sauces so I assumed that it was
a hot sauce as well. My error. This sauce claims to have chiles (unidentified)
but there is no heat whatsoever. The flavor is a strange combination that
has a garlic-ness but also a sweetness to it as well. Not a bad sauce for
foods, just a bit unusual.

Perk's
Peri-Peri Mild SauceAnother of the Perk's line of
sauces. This particular one is indeed a mild sauce with no heat to it even
though it also has unidentified chiles as an ingredient. This sauce has a
decidedly lemon flavor which makes it excellent with seafood.

Pirates
Attack Hot SauceWith a label that pays
tribute to the hot-blooded fury of pirates of yore as well as the hot-blooded
palates of the chili-head, this sauce blends roasted red peppers, habanero
peppers, jalepeno peppers and cayenne with balsamic vinegar, rum, lime
juice, onions, tomatoes and other ingredients to create a rather un-pirate-like
hot sauce. Its heat is rather tame with a bite more akin to the Pirates
of The Caribbean ride at Disney World. Although not a bad sauce from Pepper
Island Beach in Lawrence, Pennsylvania, it is not very remarkable either.

Purgatory
Pepper Sauce (Cat Scratch Fever)This 1998 Scoville Award
winning sauce is a very flavorful sauce consisting of Scotch bonnet, Thai
and cayenne peppers mixed in with sugar cane vinegar and a whole host of
spices. The heat is medium and the flavor is slightly smokey with just
a hint of sweetness. A solid sauce and well worthy of the award upon which
it was bestowed.

Purgatory
Pepper Sauce (Garlic-A-Holic)A nice hot sauce with
a very distinct garlic flavor. With a blend of cayenne, scotch bonnet and
Thai peppers, this sauce is quite hot although a little heavy on the vinegar.
It works quite well in soups and on meats. If you are a garlic lover, this
would make a positive addition to your pantry.

Purgatory
Pepper Sauce (Rev. Bidwell's Habanero Mustard)This hot sauce made from
habaneros, mustard flour, various peppers and spices as well as other ingredients
is an interesting sauce that is not a typical mustard sauce. It does
not have the typical mustard flavor that most mustard sauces and is quite
displeasing. Although the above two sauces from Purgatory Pepper Sauce
are quite good, this one is very disappointing.

Purgatory
Pepper Sauce (Sweet Heat)This rather unusual sauce
combining cayenne and Thai peppers pureed in sugar cane vinegar with raw
cane sugar, spices and salt is definitely "sweet heat." However the flavor
is what sets this sauce apart. The heat level is rather mild, but it's
sweetness is not overpowering and the sugar cane flavor is subtle and good.
This sauce would indeed make a good table sauce to be used on vegetables,
soups, sauces and a whole myriad of foods.

Purgatory
Pepper Sauce (Voo Doo Chile Sauce And Furniture Stripper)This sauce consists of
scotch bonnet, Thai and cayenne peppers pureed in sugar cane vinegar
and a host of spices. This is a medium-hot sauce with a fairly basic, yet
good flavor. My only complaint, albeit minor, is that something in the
sauce gives it a slight bitter taste.

Purple
Haze Psychedelic Hot SauceA disappointing sauce with
little heat and a poor flavor that leaves a bad aftertaste due to an
overabundance of ginger. If there were less emphasis on ginger and a better
balance with the other ingredients (Trinidad habanero peppers, pineapple juice,
red cabbage, cider vinegar, onions, brown sugar, sea salt & herbs) it
probably would be a much better sauce. As it stands, I would avoid this sauce.

Raging
InfernoThis tamarind-habanero
sauce is, in my opinion not a "raging inferno" but a slow lava flow. In
other words, this sauce by Chef Shaikh is one that on first taste is warm
but bearable. However as time goes on, the heat sneaks up on you until
its too late and your taste buds are enveloped in a boiling sea of heat.
Be cautious when using this sauce; a little goes a long way in providing
heat and flavor to any dish.

Ralph & Kacoo's To Geaux
Garlic SauceThis sauce from the famous
restaurant "Ralph and Kacoo's"
from Louisiana (and one location in Alabama) is a wonderful garlic sauce heated
with cayenne peppers to bring it to a low heat that does not overpower the
flavor. A very good sauce from a very excellent restaurant.

Ralph
& Kacoo's To Geaux Pepper SauceAnother sauce from the famous
restaurant "Ralph and Kacoo's"
from Louisiana (and one location in Alabama). This sauce is similar to their
garlic sauce, but the heat level is mild and the flavor is more of a pepper type
(albeit the peppers are identified only as "red ripe peppers") blended
with vinegar, tomato puree, garlic seasoning, salt, sucrose and other spices.
Still,a good sauce from a very excellent restaurant.

Ranger
Mell's Chimmi SauceNeither a hot sauce nor
hot condiment, but a South American condiment which works well in potatoes,
mixed in with homemade salsas and cream cheese dips as well as many other
uses in food. I found this in the local hot sauce shop and tried it on
a cracker at their sample table. It's concentrated flavor comes from onions,
parsley, olive oil, canola oil, red bell peppers, garlic, red wine vinegar,
salt, sugar and spices. This is definitely for garlic lovers.

Rasta
Fire! Hot SauceThis is one of those
somewhat rare sauces that not only has a very good flavor, but also includes
a neat label. This will make this sauce appealing to both fiery sauce connoisseurs,
but also to those who collection sauces with interesting and/or amusing
labels. This mustard-based sauce is made not only with habanero peppers,
but also includes a blend of orange juice, pineapples, papayas, onions,
curry, cumin, allspice, annato and other spices which makes for a rich
flavorful sauce that is not overpoweringly fiery even with habaneros. Furthermore,
even with so much fruit in the ingredients, this sauce is also not overly
sweet. The result is a nice blend of bite and sweetness with just a hint
of curry which makes this a good sauce to have in your pantry. Quite good
in cream-based soups as well as in dips. One unique suggestion: try adding
a little of this to prepared mustard for hot dogs and hamburgers.

Rebel Rouser Hot SauceThis sauce presents some
mysteries for me. When I sampled a bit on a spoon (I always sample some straight
from the bottle to get an unadulterated taste before trying it in some foods) it
had a somewhat sweetness to it, but there's nothing in the ingredients list that
would seem to result in the sweetness. Plus one ingredient listed is the "santack
chili" and frankly I haven't a clue as to what that is. Anyone help me out
with that? Anyway, it's quite the tasty sauce with a good medium level of heat
that's sure to add flavor to most any dish. It combines "habanero
chili," "jalapeno chili" & "santack chili"
(interesting how they reference all three as "chili") along with
cumin, oregano, capsaicin oil, chili powder, garlic, onion, salt, cilantro,
"tic gum" (what the heck is that?) and vinegar to create a nice flavor
along with a nice dash of heat. Overall a pretty interesting sauce. However it's
distributed by Novel Notions, Inc. out of Arizona under several different labels
such as "Jolly Roger Hot Sauce," "Lindee Loo's Hot Sauce,"
"Navy Seals Hot Sauce" among others.

Redneck Gourmet Hot Tailpipe
Hot SauceWell, the old joke goes,
"he was so stupid that when he tried to blow up the truck, he burned his
lips on the hot tailpipe" and the name of this sauce alludes to it. This
sauce is quite hot, rich and tangy with lots of ground black pepper in it. Way
too much for my tastes, but still not a bad sauce at all. In fact, the
combination of chili peppers, red & green peppers, ground black pepper,
lemon juice of concentrate, vinegar, salt and spices gives it a tart and tangy
flavor with a definite medium level of heat. Personally it's not my choice for a
hot sauce (way too much ground black pepper) but worthy of a taste or two...or
three...or....

Reptile's Revenge
Hot SauceYou'd think with that name,
this would be a hot sauce with a major bite, but it fails to deliver. With
jalapeno peppers and some crushed red peppers as its main heat sources, it
doesn't have a huge kick but it does have some heat (I'd put it on the low end
of medium heat). Actually it's somewhat sweet with its peaches and lime juice
mixed with vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, cilantro and cumin. A passable
starter sauce for the beginner.

Reyna's Famous Hot Mustard
Jerk SauceA warning right off the bat:
this sauce is HOT! No doubt about it. It hits you right away with that classic
habanero heat. It fades somewhat quickly making you want more. And that's just
talking about the heat. Now let's talk flavor. The ingredients are fairly simple
and straightforward: vinegar, prepared mustard, salt, garlic and unspecified
natural spices. All of those combined with the habanero peppers make for a very
nice jerk sauce.

Rica Red Habanero Hot Peppers SauceA slow (and I mean s-l-o-w)
buildup of heat is what marks this sauce. The rica red habanero peppers combined
with carrots, papaya, white vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, onion and salt make
for a medium heat level sauce with excellent flavor. This sauce won't slap you
upside the head with habanero power, but given time, it will make you glow quite
nicely.

Rica Red Maya Moon SauceAlthough the ingredients list
habanero peppers as the chief pepper in this sauce, the heat level is pretty
mild, although the flavor from the peppers as well as prepared mustard, papaya
and vinegar is quite good. I suggest using this for a unique flavor.

The Right Wing SauceSome wing sauces that are
marketed are so thin that very little stays on. Not this wing sauce. This is a
stick to the wings sauce that one definitely should "use liberally."
Thick, tangy, spicy and most importantly, delicious. This wing sauce is unique
in that it combines hot sauce, habanero peppers, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic,
onions, ketchup and other ingredients with bleu cheese dressing which results in
a very delicious flavor with an attitude. The heat is definitely on the upper
end of medium, the flavor is great and the texture is smooth, creamy and
definitely will stick to the wings. I suggest using some brushed on the wings in
the final stages of cooking as well as keeping a little sauce on the side for
extra dipping. And don't limit it just to wings, either. Use in on any poultry
as well as dips and even an additive to salad dressings and salsas. Definitely
versatile in its usage.

Ring
Of Fire Chipotle Garlic Hot SauceThis very thick and chunky
sauce is a delicious combination of serrano, chipotle and habanero
peppers as well as a healthy dosage of garlic. Tomatoes, vinegar, onions
and other spices give this sauce a touch of sweetness to it with a medium
level of heat. Truly a good, flavorful sauce that is bottled wine-like
(a corked top instead of a screwtop) and its thickness is sure to add body
to any dish.

Rob's Homemade Peckerwood Hot
SauceAn interesting blend of
habanero peppers, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt
and vinegar make this sauce quite hot while retaining a very nice flavor. I
would put this sauce on the upper end of medium with a heat that stays
pleasantly with you for quite a while. Overall a very nice sauce.

Santa
Barbara Olive Co. Chunky Olive Salsa (Hot)A very good hot salsa
made from jalapenos, green and black olives (jars I get tend to have mostly
green olives), green chilies, fresh cilantro, etc. The heat creates a nice
slow, strong burn which doesn't overpower the flavor. The consistency is
somewhat soupy, but not too bad. A very delightful and delicious salsa
to try.

Satan's
Slow BurnThis is another hot sauce
from The Firehouse in Denver, Colorado. I have tried and thoroughly enjoyed
many of their sauces and this one is no exception. Even though this is
a habenero-based sauce, they have smoked the peppers which tempers the
heat somewhat making this indeed a "slow burn." As a result you might use
a little more than you would normally would with straight habanero sauces,
but be cautious, it still has a good bite, so start with a little and work
your way up to the desired amount of heat.

Savannah Moon Hot SauceA delightfully sweet and
slightly smoky hot sauce with a blend of roasted red peppers, crushed red
peppers, chipotle peppers, honey and dark molasses. Its heat level is on the
lower side of medium but its flavor is not overly sweet either. Fairly thick
with some bits of pepper within. Quite a nice blend of sweet and heat. Overall
quite a good sauce.

Scorpio's Curse Scorpion VenomAn interesting habanero hot
sauce manufactured in Jacksonville, Florida that has a pretty potent sting. This
"venom" contains not only habanero peppers, but also onions, green
peppers, mustard, ginger, garlic, thyme and basil which give a complex flavor
consisting of a bit of tartness along with the heat. A pretty decent hot sauce
with a heat level on the upper level of medium.

Smokin'
Oranges (An Incendiary Concoction)This sauce by Southwest
Spirit advertises itself as an extremely hot sauce and indeed it is. The
blend of orange extract, tomato juice, garlic and onions with habanero,
chipotle and ancho chiles do make for a very hot sauce, but unfortunately
a very bitter hot sauce. The flavor suffers greatly due to this bitterness
which is most likely caused by the orange extract. Unless they do something
to eliminate this bitterness while retaining the flavor combination of
oranges and chipotle peppers, I strongly suggest avoiding this sauce.

Spitfire
Barbados Hot Pepper SauceA rather thin sauce relying
mainly on a strong mustard and vinegar base for its flavor and scotch bonnet
peppers for its heat. It's a bit too heavy on the vinegar for my tastes,
but give it a try nonetheless if you are into vinegar based sauces. The
level of heat is on a solid medium level with the sugar taming the standard
bite of the scotch bonnet pepper. It's a passable sauce, but not one I
would recommend.

St. George Island
Volunteer Fire Departmenr Hot SauceYou don't need to call the St. George Island Volunteer Fire Department if you
consume this sauce. It just isn't THAT hot. But it does have some good heat. I
imagine some of those volunteers enjoy this sauce just as much as I did. It is a
vinegar based sauce which you can taste initially but the other flavors catch up
almost immediately. There is some sweetness to it but it doesn't overwhelm. It's
quite chunky too with bits of pepper floating about. This sauce utilizes a
delicious blend of habanero and chipotle peppers along with distilled vinegar,
tomato paste, onions, chives, salt, sugar, garlic powder and black pepper. It
has a good balance of heat and flavor but the chipotle peppers aren't too
noticable. This doesn't take away from the overall taste of this sauce. It's
definitely a sauce with medium heat and maximum flavor. Worth getting.

Susie's Original Hot Pepper
(The Caribbean Taste)Definitely Caribbean-based (it's from Antigua, West Indies) with hot peppers (unspecified however judging
from the illustrations on the label I assume scotch bonnet peppers), mustard,
vinegar and spices (unspecified). It's a rather thin and watery sauce,
but has a strong bite of heat that sneaks up on you. The flavor is quite good,
but not overwhelming with a somewhat sweet flavor. Surely a recommendable sauce.

Sweet Mama Jamma's Mojo JuiceIf the artwork of Mama Jamma
is even somewhat accurate, then I would not want to meet her in a dark alley no
matter how sweet she may be. However if she was offering me some of this sweet
and hot sauce, I might reconsider. This is a delicious sauce blending jalapeno
peppers with honey, corn syrup, water and vinegar creating an extremely sweet
sauce with a bit of a kick. The heat level is low end and could be used as an
ingredient in a ham glaze (for example). Its sweetness may not be appropriate
for all dishes, but it's still a pretty good sauce nonetheless.

Tahiti Joe's Kumawanakilya XXX
Hot Pepper SauceA strange name of a hot
sauce? Sound it out phonetically and you will understand the implication of this
sauce combining habanero peppers with apple cider vinegar, crushed tomatoes, key
lime juice, clam juice, worcestershire, honey, carrots, garlic, onions, spices,
corn starch and water. Quite a hot sauce (definitely high heat) with a hint of
smokiness and a touch of sweetness. A good sauce.

Toad Sweat Key Lime &
Habanero Dessert Hot SauceAn interesting and unique
sauce consisting habanero peppers, key lime juice, pure cane sugar, cocoa and
spices which give it a sweet flavor with a little heat. The habanero peppers do
not make it extremely hot just a little warm. It has a syrupy consistency
suitable for basting. One possible suggestion is to use a baked ham. This sauce
is definitely recommended.

Toe-tally Gator Mustard Hot SauceI am a fan of mustard-based sauces and I definitely include
this one as a much better than average mustard-based sauce. According to the
label it is "blended with the purest ingredients from the swamp." I'm
not sure if you could really find all the ingredients (mustard, radishes,
habanero peppers, red wine vinegar, spiced rum, onions & other spices) in
the swamp (maybe that particular swamp had a well-stocked grocery store?) but
that doesn't stop the makers of this sauce from creating a delightful
concoction. Fairly thick with a very solid medium heat level that definitely
sticks with you for a while, this sauce definitely works well in many dishes.
Plus you get a nifty gator toe keychain with the bottle.

Tombstone
Helldorado Seasoning SauceThis sauce really does
not qualify in my opinion as a "hot pepper sauce" but don't keep that from
trying it. It resembles a steak sauce both in consistency and flavor with
a spicy bite and a sweet kiss at the same time. This sauce from Tombstone,
Arizona combines cayenne peppers, red chili pepper powder and crushed red
chilis with tomato paste, distilled white vinegar, unsulphered natural
molasses, ginger, garlic powder and spices which results in a nice spicy
sauce which although on the low end of the heat scale still adds zest to
any dish.

Tongues Of FireThe label claims this is "the
unspeakable hot sauce" however in this instance, I will speak of it.
Although the ingredients are pretty standard (water, habanero peppers, modified
food starch, distilled vinegar, salt, onion, etc.) this sauce will indeed light
up your tongue and delight the palate with its heat and flavor. Definitely not
for beginners. If you expect a liquidy sauce, forget it...this sauce if chock
full of chopped peppers giving it a fairly thick consistency. Recommended for
waking up the palate while enhancing your recipe.

Tough
Guy Hot SauceAlthough this sauce has habanero peppers, you
really don't need to be a tough guy to enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend someone
new to hot peppers to use too much of it because it does have a nice medium heat
to it. It also has a delicious flavor from orange juice, lemon juice, lime
juice, honey, mustard, curry powder, onion, vinegar, salt and spices. I'm not a
big fan of curry powder but fortunately it's not used heavily in this sauce.
It's not very thick but it's not thin and runny either. Very refined with only
flecks of pepper in the sauce. This is a sauce that would make a very good steak
sauce "as is."

Trappey's
Bull Louisiana SauceTrappey's
Chef-Magic Hot Sauce with garlicTrappey's
Indi-Pep West Indian Style Pepper SauceThese sauces (from New
Iberia, Louisiana and widely available from grocery stores throughout Florida)
are all pretty doggoned good sauces to have on hand. They are all fairly
standard Louisiana style sauce with an upper medium heat and good flavor.
Hot sauces with garlic seem to be the current fad among widely distributed
hot sauce companies, but long-time pepperheads know that garlic in sauces
has always been a fairly common ingredient. Even though these sauces have
differing ingredients, the differences are minor and the flavors are not
all that distinguishable from one another upon comparison. My only minor
gripe is that the Chef-Magic sauce with garlic could use a higher concentration
of garlic.

Tropical
Ted's "Ameribean Style" Hoot Mon Hot MustardMore of a mustard sauce
than a spreadable mustard, Tropical Ted's "Ameribean Style" Hoot Mon Hot
Mustard is a sweet and tangy mustard sauce that has a solid medium level
of heat even though it contains scotch bonnet peppers. The combination
of vinegar, mustard seed, scotch bonnet peppers, honey, tumeric, ginger,
garlic powder and other spices is indeed a delightful blend. It is easy
to have too much ginger in a sauce thereby overpowering the flavor, but
this North Carolina-based sauce manages to add just the bare minimum of
ginger to enhance, rather than overwhelm.

Tropical Pepper Company Tico
Papaya Curry Pepper SauceFirst of all, let me make it
clear that I really am not a fan of curry. However with that said, I tried this
sauce with a little hesitation, but was pleasantly surprised. This sauce
consists of a complex recipe of habanero pepper pulp, papaya, salt, cumin,
curry, garlic, cane vinegar, cilantro, sugar, onion and black pepper which gives
it an interestingly good flavor (a nice combination of cumin and curry). Its
heat is on the upper end of low due to use of the pulp of the habanero tempered
by the papaya and sugar, but the flavor will enhance many foods. Overall an
excellent and useful sauce.

Tropical
Pepper Company Trinidad Mustard SauceFrom Costa Rica and
containing habanero peppers, fresh onion, mustard, sugar, salt, vinegar, tumeric
and flour (thickening agent?) this mustard sauce is excellent with good flavor
and a slow buildup of heat. The heat level approaches medium and it has a thick
consistency with plenty of bits of peppers. Recommended.

Tuong Ot SrirachaThis sauce is an interesting
and flavorful condiment that should (in my humble opinion) be used as one would
with ketchup and mustard. I was told this sauce is Vietnamese in origin (someone
correct me if I am wrong). It is not very hot with heat level just barely on the
upper end of low however its unique flavor makes it a nice addition to one's
cupboard.

Tyree Trudeau's Backwoods
Bayou Lou-Z-Ana Hot SauceLouisiana is well known as a
haven for hot sauces. In fact, it is the origin for a whole type of hot sauce of
which this is one. The sauce is definitely Louisiana (or as the label puts
it...Lou-Z-Ana) style but it goes much further than that. First of all it is
thicker and coarser than most Louisiana-style hot sauces. Secondly it has more
bits of spices evident in the sauce (bits of what could be cilantro or parsley
are mixed in the sauce). The ingredient list is rather vague reading
"peppers, vinegar, salt & other spices" but the flavor is
specifically good (I'm guessing, but I seem to detect garlic and some tomato)
albeit on the salty side. The heat level is somewhat on the low side of medium,
but don't be fooled, it will warm you up. This sauce definitely complements all
sorts of dishes. One interesting extra, the bottle I have has a label which
gives the story behind "THE SAUCE" and whether the story is legend or
fact, it still is a good yarn for an excellent sauce.

Viva Pancho Garlic Habanero SauceYou would expect a habanero sauce with a
picture of Pancho Villa on the label to be exciting. However with this sauce,
Pancho must have been on vacation. Now it's not a wimpy sauce by any stretch,
but fairly tame overall. It does pack a good amount of heat with habanero
peppers cut only a little by carrots. It also contains onions, garlic, lime
juice, salt and distilled vinegar blended to resemble a Louisiana style hot
sauce, yet with a flavor unlike your typical Louisiana hot sauce. The lime juice
and vinegar gives it a somewhat tart flavor, but it does not overwhelm. A useful
sauce with a nice punch.

Viva Pancho Salsa PicanteA much tamer hot sauce than the Pancho habanero sauce, the salsa picante
blends red peppers (unnamed) with salt, unnamed spices and vinegar to create a
sauce with some heat (upper end of low) and acceptable flavor. Not a spectacular
sauce, but a good one nonetheless for the beginning pepperhead.

Walker

swood Hot Jonkanoo Pepper Sauce

This Jamaican hot sauce
is a good solid hot sauce with a medium level of heat derived from unknown
hot peppers, scallion, vinegar, citric acid, onion, garlic and other
various spices. Nothing spectacular, but a solid sauce nontheless.

Walker

swoodZestyCaribbean One Stop Savory SauceThis sauce confuses me. Scotch bonnet peppers are listed as one of the
ingredients but there is no heat to this sauce. None. Nada. Zip. Nothing.
Nothing on the label says "hot sauce" so maybe this is intentional.
However how can you use scotch bonnet peppers and not get even a tiny
hint of heat? The label actually proclaims this to be a "savory sauce"
so maybe they used a microscopic amount of peppers in this. Don't get me
wrong...this isn't a BAD sauce, just not a hot sauce. It's both sweet AND savory
with its flavor coming from tomatoes, bananas, mangos, sugar, vinegar,
scallions, allspice, black pepper, nutmeg, tyme, tamarind and salt. It's a
complex mixture with a complex flavor of sweetness. A nice table sauce, but just
be forewarned...it's not hot at all.

West Indies Creole Hot Pepper SauceA fairly basic vinegar based sauce imported from the West
Indies with a pretty good level of heat. Nothing spectacular, but a good, solid
sauce nonetheless that would be a welcome addition to the pantry.

Whoopin'
Ass Hot Sauce (Chipotle Fire)This amusingly packaged
hot sauce (designed to look like an old western outlaw complete with plastic
cowboy hat) is labeled to be a chipotle sauce, but is so overwhelming with
the vinegar that it has very little, if any, chipotle flavor. The heat
level is in the medium range and does pack a little bot of a kick. However
the flavor is quite unimpressive and one would do much better with any
one of the numerous commercially available vinegar based sauces in your
local grocery store.

CARL'S
FAVORITE SPICY COOKBOOKS
AND OTHER CHILE-RELATED
BOOKS

So now you have all the hot
spices, sauces, peppers, etc. that you could ever need. What do you DO
with them? You could limit yourself to just adding them to prepared foods
like canned chilies and soups or to the meals you normally make. However
that would become boring quite quickly. It's time for the chili-head to
search for spicy recipes to make the most of the goodies they have accumulated.
With the rise in popularity of cooking with hot peppers come numerous cookbooks
devoted to keeping the typical chili-head happy with ample recipes to prepare.
Here are some of my personal favorites. I don't have a huge amount of spicy
cookbooks in my ever growing collection of cookbooks, but the ones I do
have are quite good in my honest opinion. However if you have some you'd
like to recommend or even some personal favorite recipes you'd like to
share, please e-mail me at
saints@nettally.com
and I'll be more than happy to correspond with you as time permits.

"Biker
Billy Cooks With Fire" by Bill Hufnagle [1995 Hearst Books, New York; ISBN
0-688-14063-7]Okay, when my wife
found this book at the local Barnes & Noble, she brought it to me thinking
it was just another "gimmick" cookbook (which she collects incidentally
-- she found a copy of "Manifold Destiny" which she added
to her self-proclaimed "weird cookbooks" collection). And I admit, seeing
the photo of the scruffy-looking biker surrounded by rising flames on the
cover led me to agree with her. However upon closer examination of the
contents quickly forced me to change my mind and realize that Bill Hufnagle,
who hosts his own cable-TV cooking program (I have not seen it, but one
person who had, recommended it), does know what he is talking about. His
recipes are of varying degrees of heat, but are also fairly easy to prepare.
I enjoyed reading this book not only for the recipes and biker stuff, but
also for the humor interwoven in Hufnagle's stories, instructions, etc.
I highly recommend this cookbook for both serious chili-heads as well as
those only wishing to indulge in the periodic spicy dish.

"A Field Guide To Hot
Sauces: A Chileheads's Tour of More Thank 100 Blazing Brews" by Todd
Kaderabek [1996 Lark Books; ISBN 1-887374-10-8]Mr. Kaderabek is definitely
another fellow chile head with a passion for heat and flavor. His reviews of
sauces and salsas are entertaining as well as informative and the illustrations
by Christi Teasley make this a nice book to add to your collection. I believe I
have reviewed more than 100 hot sauces on my homepage, but I imagine that by
now, Mr. Kaderabek has added much to his hot reviews. Good advice and
information are contained within this book (my particular favorite is how to
keep squirrels from your bird feeders).

"The
Great Chile Book" by Mark Miller with John Harrisson [1991 Ten Speed Press;
ISBN 0-89815-428-6]Not a cookbook, but one
of the best chile guides I have run across. The width makes it easy to
keep in a pocket or purse, but extensive information with very good photos
within makes it easy to identify peppers, even extremely exotic ones.

"The
Habanero Cookbook" by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach [1995 Ten Speed Press;
ISBN 0-89815-638-6]Probably some of the
hottest recipes around ranging from American fare to wonderful exotic internation
fare. This is definitely a cookbook for the adventuresome pepperhead.

"Little Books For Cooks: Hot Sauces" by Jane Stacey [2000 Smallwood & Stewart,
Inc.; ISBN 0-7407-0521-0]A cute little book with a small listing of
popular hot sauces as well as a limited number of interesting recipes.

"Meltdown:
The Official Fiery Foods Show Cookbook And Chilehead Resource Guide" by
Dave DeWitt and Mary Jane Wilan with Jeanette DeAnda [1995 The Crossing
Press {Freedom, Ca.}; ISBN 0-89594-739-0]This excellent hotstuff
cookbook not only contains an extensive collection of quite good recipes
of varying degrees of heat, but also an even more extensive list of sources
for other hotstuff cookbooks, spices, sauces, seeds, etc. Most of the addresses
are still current so this book makes a great addition for the serious pepperhead
as well as the average hot foods lover. Another interesting feature is
the section devoted to the history of the Fiery Foods Show now held annually
in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I highly recommend purchasing this book.

"The
Pepper Garden" by Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland [1993 Ten Speed Press;
ISBN 0-89815-554-1]This is the best and
most comprehensive book on peppers that I have run across. Not a cookbook,
but an excellant information resource on peppers including, but not limited
to, subjects such as history of pepper growing, types of peppers, how to
grow pepper plants and protect them from various problems, how to store
peppers, etc. This book also includes an extensive resource list so you
can get even more detailed information as well as products for growing
and using peppers. I _highly_ recommend this book.

"The
Tabasco Brand Cookbook" by Paul McIlhenny with Barbara Hunter [1993 Clarkson
Potter Publishers; ISBN 0-517-58965-6]This cookbook combines
recipes with a history in words and pictures of the McIlhenny family and
its Tabasco Brand product. This makes it not only useful in the kitchen,
but also quite an entertaining read. I highly recommend getting this little,
yet packed cookbook to add to any pepperhead's collection.

"The
Ultimate Hot And Spicy Cookbook" [1997 Anness Publishing Limited; ISBN
1-85967-367-8]Quite an extensive cookbook
of fiery recipes varying in degrees of difficulty as well as degrees of
heat. Good illustrative photos. I recommend this one if you run across
it.

"The
Whole Chile Pepper Book" by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach [1990 Little,
Brown and Company; ISBN 0-316-18223-0]A more international
collection of hot and spicy recipes. This book also gives an overview into
major spicy foods of the world such as Asian, Indian and African. An entertaining
and education cookbook.